


Wayward Hearts

by foreverwayward



Series: Wayward Hearts [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: sam and dean - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-09-06 14:26:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 103,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16834411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverwayward/pseuds/foreverwayward
Summary: A/U: Riley is a hunter raised by her father after her mother tragically died when she was only six months old. She grew up in the life and it was all she knew. Dad had been after the demon that killed her mom, all her life. After losing her dad, Riley was on her own. Well, besides Finn. That dog was her only partner and best friend.On a visit to see her aunt back home in Lawrence, Kansas, who should she run into but Sam and Dean Winchester. A spark is lit between Riley and Dean and revelations are made that they’re after the same creature.It’s time for Riley to step up and avenge her mother just like dad would have wanted her to. Now with the help of Sam and Dean, that might actually be possible.





	1. It Runs in the Family

A black 1965 Mustang hummed down the road as the sign read “Welcome to Lawrence, Kansas”. The driver window was down and “Bad Company” played on the stereo. The autumn air was rolling in and blew through her auburn hair as she inhaled the fresh cool air. Riley had one hand on the wheel and the other in the golden hair of the canine co-pilot that laid in her lap. She would never make it alone on these long rides if she didn’t have Finn by her side.  
  
Riley was a simple girl. At 23, she’d been through more than anyone should ever have to endure. Though her face was young, her aged soul showed. She was mature beyond her years in the best and worst ways. She always tried to appear a little rough around the edges. How jaded she was still showed, but she lived with her heart as her compass. That’s how dad raised her.  
  
With the life she lived, you’d think she’d be taller, but she never let her smaller stature stop her from anything. “You don’t need to be a man to kick ass,” dad used to say. She smelled of her favorite black leather jacket that she always wore and the only perfume she ever used. A ring on her right hand, that she never took off, glistened in the light. It was silver; simple. It was mom’s.  
  
It was always so good to come home; she wished it was only under better circumstances. Riley tried to brush off the thought that evil had come to her hometown, and focused on the small town roads. Everytime she came to town, it was like she had never left. Nothing really changed in Lawrence, but that was one of the best things about it. Small “mom and pop” shops lined the street and the trees had begun to softly litter the ground with colored leaves.  
  
She couldn’t wait to get to Aunt Debbie’s. It had been too long since her last visit and the idea of “home” brought a warmth to her chest. She wanted to stop at the local florist to pick up Deb’s favorite flowers. She knew lilies always made her smile.  
  
Riley slowly pulled into a parking spot and the car came to a stop. She pat Finn on the head, “be right back, buddy.” The sleepy pup laid back down on the leather seat, and fell back into a peaceful sleep waiting for his best friend.  
  
The car door closed and she began to walk towards the shop. A husky voice close by spoke up. “That’s a great car.” Riley turned to the stranger and saw a tall man in a leather jacket leaning against a gorgeous classic car. A smirk curled up on his face and she smiled back. “Thanks. I can say the same for yours. That’s a gorgeous Impala. A ‘67 right?” His smile grew and a spark lit up in his eyes. “Yeah, that’s right. You know your cars, huh?” She walked closer to him and crossed her arms as the cold breeze hit her. “Dad was a bit of a grease monkey. Cars were something he never could shut up about.”  
  
At a closer glance, she saw his beautiful hazel-green eyes, and the small amount of freckles that peppered his face. His hair was a shorter, sandy blonde and fit him perfectly. His full lips caught her eye and she tried not to stare. She took a moment to notice how well those jeans hugged him just right. He let out a throaty chuckle and said, “my dad too. Looks like we were raised right. I’m Dean by the way.” He reached his hand out for hers and she took it in return. “Riley.” Her name hit something in him and he was captivated. Her piercing blue eyes stared back at him and for a second he was lost in them. Something about her was intoxicating.  
  
“So, you from around here?” he asked.  
  
“Yeah. Lawrence is home. Just came in for a visit.”  
  
“Same.” He grinned at the beautiful woman in front of him, trying to play it as cool as possible. She made him nervous but in the best way possible. He couldn’t help but take in every part of her. The way her hair fell in her face, how she curved in all the right places, and how her smile was something you wouldn’t believe unless you saw it.  
  
“Well, I gotta run an errand and get going. It was nice to meet you, Dean.” She began to walk away; her boots softly crunching the leaves beneath her. He didn’t want her to go. He had to get to know her. Somehow he knew, this girl was something special. “Hey, Riley!” he called out as he caught up to her. She turned to him with a smile, trying to hide how glad she was that he didn’t just let her leave.  
  
“I’m gonna be in town for a bit and have some time to kill. Would you maybe want to get together later? Dinner?”  
  
Her heart fluttered as she tried to calm her excitement. “Sure. Do you know Debbie’s Diner?” she asked.  
  
“Yeah. Best burgers in town. They make a mean apple pie.”  
  
“I couldn’t agree more. Wanna meet me there around 7?”  
  
He flashed a smile that made her weak in the knees. It reached up his face and made the corner of his eyes crinkle. “It’s a date” he replied.  
  
She smirked back at him revealing dimples that he immediately fell for, “see you then”. Riley turned to walk away, making sure to saunter just a bit to keep his attention. Dean couldn’t help himself as he watched her walk into the florist shop. She was a knockout.  
  
Filled with excitement for the night to come, he hopped in the Impala and backed out of his spot. He wished he didn’t have to wait.

* * *

Grabbing her duffle bag and the new flowers from the back seat, Riley got out of the car. Finn jumped out right behind her. He was wagging his tail with excitement knowing exactly where they were. She walked to the back of the diner and went in the employee entrance. A small break room that looked more like a family room, was warm and simply decorated. Couches, a tv, coffee table and a rug took up most of the room. Riley pointed to the couch and Finn hopped on. She kissed his head and walked into the back entrance of the diner.  
  
As she took a step onto the tile, the familiar smell of Debbie’s best pies filled the air. The hiss of the fryer in the background, making her famous fries. She could hear music softly playing. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh as she whispered to herself, “home.”  
  
Riley saw Debbie and crept up behind her. “Surprise!” Debbie let out a small yelp and turned around. Her eyes widened and her smile grew too big for her face. “Riley!” She embraced her tight and didn’t want to let her go. Riley was the daughter she never had and she missed her so much it hurt. After a moment she let go and gave a small tap to the side of Riley’s head. “You scared the crap outta me.”  
  
Riley chuckled, “sorry, Deb. But I come bearing a peace offering.” She handed Debbie the lilies and Deb knew she couldn’t even remotely be upset with her.  
  
“Oh, sweetheart, I missed you so much. I didn’t even know you were gonna be in town. Why didn’t you call?” Deb asked.  
  
“Well, I came in for work and thought I would surprise you.”  
  
Debbie’s joy fell a little knowing exactly what “work” meant. She hated what her niece did. The job took her whole family from her, and the idea of losing Riley made her chest ache.  
  
Suddenly, Riley could feel the pain swell in her aunt. It turned her stomach and she felt fear, worry, concern…all at once. What was happening?  
  
_This isn’t the life I wanted for her. Why can’t I convince her to stay? _  
  
__Riley froze. Aunt Deb never spoke a word. Did she just…hear her thoughts? Feel her emotions? “No. That’s impossible.” She shook off the thought and blamed it on exhaustion. She had been driving for a full day. Of course she was tired.  
  
“Well, I gotta get these into a vase. Make yourself at home, but don’t think I won’t put you to work later.” Riley chuckled, “yes ma'am. Uh, Deb? Do I smell fresh-”  
  
“You and your pie” she cut in. “I’ll grab you a slice.”  
  
Riley grinned from ear to ear and gave her another hug. She took a deep breath and inhaled the smell of fresh food and her vanilla shampoo; one of her favorite smells. “I’m so glad to be home, Deb.”

* * *

Dean was nervous. This didn’t usually happen to him. He was good with girls and he knew it. But this one was different. She did something to him and he was dying to find out what that was. He let out a big exhale and ran his fingers through his hair. Getting out of the car, he straightened his leather jacket and headed towards the diner. _ _  
  
__He opened the door and a soft bell jingled. Dean didn’t see Riley and was happy that he was there before her. There was a sign that read “please seat yourself. We’ll be with you shortly.” He found a booth in the corner and sat down on the red padded seat. Fiddling with his hands and looking out the window, he was just hoping this girl wouldn’t blow him off. He had been looking forward to this all day.  
  
A familiar appealing voice spoke out. “Hey, glad you made it.” He looked up and saw those big blue eyes that he hadn’t been able to get out of his head. “Wouldn’t have missed it”, Dean replied.  
  
“Want a beer?” she asked.  
  
“Absolutely.”  
  
She walked away and went behind the counter. He watched her with his brow arched, confused why she was just helping herself. Dean watched her grab two bottles and pop them open; bringing one to her lips and taking a sip while walking back.  
  
Riley sat the bottles down and sat across from the smile that gave her butterflies. He looked at her and chuckled, “you know, they don’t like it when you serve yourself.” She tried to stifle a laugh while taking another sip from her beer.  
  
“I probably should have mentioned, this is my Aunt’s diner. This is kind of like my home.”  
  
“That makes a lot more sense. I was thinking you might just be a little wild.” he smirked.  
  
“Oh, honey. You have no idea.” _ _  
  
__His eyes widened. This girl was something else.  
  
Aunt Debbie walked to the table and pulled a pad and pen out from her white apron. “Hey, Riley. Want to introduce your friend?”  
  
“Of course, Aunt Deb, this is Dean.”  
  
Dean shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, ma'am.”  
  
“Ma'am? Damn. When did I get old?”  
  
They all let out a small laugh. Debbie took a moment and a look of recognition came over her face. Did she know this boy? She didn’t want to embarass Riley and ask too much, so she let it go. Debbie returned to focus and asked, “you kids wanna order?”  
  
Dean motioned to Riley for her to go first. “Just the usual, Deb. Cheeseburger and fries.”  
  
This girl ordered real food. He loved that she didn’t order a salad or something ridiculous and tasteless.  
  
“And for the handsome one?” she looked at Dean.  
  
Riley rolled her eyes and pulled her lips together. Of course Deb would say something like that.  
  
Dean looked down and let out a shy laugh. Looking back up he gave a soft smile and said, “I’ll have the same.”  
  
“Coming right up.” Deb didn’t even need to write down that order. She knew Riley’s usual by heart. She turned and returned behind the counter. They were alone. There was a moment of silence where they just smirked and soaked up being together.  
  
“So, tell me about yourself, Dean” Riley said in a calm and flirty tone.  
  
“Well, I’m from here, I have a little brother, I love cars and have a slightly unhealthy obsession with classic rock.”  
  
Riley laughed and replied, “I’m the same way. I’m a sucker for when music was actually good. Def Leppard, AC/DC, Guns ‘n Roses, Led Zepplin…I have too many favorites to name.”  
  
Dean couldn’t believe his luck. This was literally the perfect woman. “You know,” he said cooly “not a lot of girls are into all of that. I’m pleasantly surprised.” He took a sip from his beer.  
  
“Well, Dean. I’m definitely not like most girls.” Her smirk was trouble and he loved it. “My dad and I were always listening to music together. It was something that we both loved. Some of my best memories are of us belting out our favorites during our long drives.”  
  
“Sounds like you and dad are pretty close huh?”  
  
Her eyes cast down and her face changed. “Dad, uh, he passed away about a year ago now.”  
  
He saw the pain in her face and felt guilty for the question. “I’m so sorry.”  
  
“Thanks. Definitely miss him” she said choking on a lump in her throat. She downed a large swig of the beer, put it on the table and played with it in her hands trying to get out of her head. She had to change the subject. “What about you? You close with your parents?”  
  
Dean sighed and wasn’t sure how to explain his relationship with his dad. God knows how complicated that was. “Uh, dad and I are pretty close. He raised me and my brother. Mom died when we were kids.”  
  
“I lost my mom as a kid too. It was just me and dad. Now, Deb is all the family I got. Well, her and Finn.”  
  
“Finn?”  
  
“Finnick. My golden retriever. Kinda my partner in crime. He’s in the back. Can’t have dogs in the diner.”  
  
Dean let out a chuckle.  
  
They got lost in conversation, talking about anything and everything. He made her laugh, and she needed that. She loved that he thought she was funny. His laugh was genuine and ran up her skin like a warm hug. Time stopped and the two of them let go of the world for just a little while.  
  
After the burgers and fries were demolished and multiple beers were downed, Debbie stopped by the table with two pieces of fresh pie. Dean’s eyes lit up. “Oh God, yes” he thought as the smell wafted his way. _ _  
  
__The two ate their pie and Dean got up the courage to ask what’s been on his mind. “So, Riley, how the hell does a girl like you not have a boyfriend?”  
  
She smirked as she took a bite of the warm pie. She swallowed and added, “well, I don’t stay in one place long. Kind of hard to build a relationship when you’re always on the road.”  
  
Dean felt like she was singing his song. This girl totally got him. “I know that feeling all too well. Work keeps me travelling a lot.”  
  
“What do you do?” she asked.  
  
Careful not to reveal too much he answers, “Uh, it’s a family business. We do a little bit of everything.”  
  
“Well that was vague” she scoffed.  
  
He laughed. “I like to be a little mysterious. What about you?”  
  
It was her turn to omit her full truth. “We’re kind of a family business too. Odd jobs here and there just all over the place.”  
  
He looked at her and felt she was hiding something, just like he was. He decided not to press it further though.  
  
After their plates were finished, they stood up to leave. She hugged Debbie and told her she’d be back in a bit. “Be safe, sweetheart” she replied. “It was nice to meet you, Dean.” _ _  
  
__“Likewise, ma'am.”  
  
“Oh for the love of God, please call me Debbie.”  
  
“The food was delicious by the way” Dean smiled and handed her some cash.  
  
“Oh no, honey. It’s on the house. Here, I packed you a pie to go. Seems like you enjoyed it.”  
  
He was too happy with his gift and knew he really liked this woman. “Thank you, Debbie. I’ll definitely be back for more.”  
  
They walked out of the diner and slowly meandered towards his Impala. Walking side by side, they took their time with every step, not wanting to say goodnight.  
  
Normally, Dean would have already offered to take her back to his room, but not with Riley. This was different. She wasn’t just some chick he wanted to have a one night stand with. He wanted to see if there was something more. That thought alone was enough to scare and excite him.  
  
The parking lot behind the diner was poorly lit and next to a quiet alley way. The moon gave more light than the street lamps but it was the perfect setting. He leaned against the car and looked up. The stars were so bright. One of his favorite things about Kansas, you could always see the night sky. Riley looked up as well and they both sighed feeling the comfort of home.  
  
“Dinner was great. Your aunt sure knows how to cook” said Dean.  
  
“Yeah. She’s amazing. She seemed to really like you.”  
__  
__ “Good. I don’t always do great with first impressions.”  
  
“Well, you did just fine with me.” She bit her bottom lip, a smile showing through.  
  
He let out a quiet laugh and their eyes locked. He was lost in hers and her in his. There was an electricity between them and it was like gravity was pulling them together. She took a step forward closer to him and brushed her hair behind her ear. She was so beautiful and he felt his stomach flip as he glanced down at her lips.  
  
“I had a really good time tonight, Dean.”  
  
“Me too. I’m glad I got the guts to ask you out.”  
  
She laughed and replied, “me too.”  
  
Suddenly they realized the gap between them had closed. They quietly looked at each other waiting for the other to make a move. Dean put a hand gently on the side of her face and her breath hitched. Her hands found his chest and felt his cool leather jacket under them. They inched closer. Both feeling lightheaded and their lips nearly touching, when a loud crash came from the alley and they both jumped to look in that direction. It got quiet. Too quiet.  
  
Before there was time to react, a snarling creature with long fangs shot out from the darkness and lunged at the couple. The vampire charged at Dean first and went straight for his neck. Dean quickly hit him in the face and pushed him back.  
  
Both Riley and Dean shouted to each other in unison, “get behind me!” They both looked at each other in confusion but there was no time for that. Just as the vamp got up to lunge back at them, two more came out from behind them. They were outnumbered. Dean went for the two and Riley went for Dean’s original attacker. Dean pulled out his gun, but before he could shoot, he was grabbed and thrown feet away onto the hard asphalt; the gun falling out of his hand. Riley unsheathed the knife from her boot and brought it up ready to fight. The creature pinned her to the wall, both fighting for power over the knife.  
  
A deep voice rang out from somewhere nearby, “DEAN!” A tall man with shaggy hair came running into the fray with a machete and aided Dean. He quickly came up behind the third vamp and sliced his head clean off. Dean grabbed the gun and fired several rounds into one of the vamps and it fell to the floor in agony. He yelled out in worry “RILEY!” and charged in her direction.  
  
Riley finally overpowered the creature and stabbed him in the gut only slowing it down. She pushed it against the wall and quickly grabbed the lid from the metal trash can next to her. With all her might she shoved it into the vampire’s throat and decapitated the monster. Dean stopped in his tracks with shock on his face.  
  
She wiped the blood off her face and turned to Dean. All three out of breath, not sure what to make of what just happened. The remaining vampire laid on the ground, groaning in agony. Dean and his partner sauntered over to it and stood over him. “What the hell did you do to me?” he snarled.  
  
“Those are dead man’s bullets you, son of a bitch.”  
  
Riley quickly broke in with that same lid; slamming it down and finishing the creature.  
  
There was silence. Dean turned to Riley, “you’re a hunter?!”  
  
“You’re a hunter?!” she replied in shock.  
  
“Yeah. We came into town hearing about a vamp nest nearby.”  
  
“Me too.”  
  
Still catching their breath, no one knew what to say. Until Dean finally turned, “this is my brother Sam. Sam, this is Riley.” She looked up at the younger brother. He looked so young. Handsome like his brother, but in his own way. He had soft brown eyes and his brown hair curved over his forehead.  
  
Riley had a realization that struck her like a bus. “Wait. Sam and Dean? _ _ _ _As in Sam and Dean Winchester?____ John’s kids?”  
____  
The brothers looked at each other and Sam spoke up. “Uh, yeah. Do we know you?”  
  
____“Your dad was my dad’s best friend.”  
  
“Who was your dad?” Dean asked.  
  
“Jackson Munroe.”  
  
Dean’s eyes grew. “Jack Munroe? Dad and him hunted together for years. He was a hell of a hunter.” He scoffed in shock. “I can’t believe you’re Jack’s daughter.”  
  
“Dad was so hurt to hear about your father last year. We all were. I’m so sorry, Riley” Sam added.  
  
Riley nodded in gratitude as she pulled her knife from the vamp. She cleaned it on the creatures shirt and sheathed it again. “How’s your dad by the way? I haven’t seen John in a while.”  
  
Sam scoffed, “join the club.” Dean scowled at Sam and then looked back to Riley. “We’re actually looking for him right now. He went on a hunting trip and we haven’t heard from him in a while.”  
  
“It’s John Winchester. I wouldn’t be too worried” she said. There was that silence again. “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I could use a drink. My aunt has an apartment above the diner. I know she has some whiskey hidden upstairs.”  
  
“I am definitely not gonna turn that offer down,” replied Dean.  
  
While Riley dragged one of the corpses off to the dumpster, Sam grabbed Dean’s shoulder and turned him towards him. “That’s the girl you went out with tonight?”  
  
“Yeah. She’s incredible. Did you see her? She’s a badass.” He smiled like an excited kid in a candy store.  
  
Sam let out a breathy chuckle in agreeance and they both go help Riley remove the evidence of their violent supernatural encounter.

* * *

The three hunters stepped into a small apartment; it was cozy and welcoming. Pictures of the Munroe family made it feel like a real home. Riley closed the door behind them and a happy dog came running to her. He jumped up to hug her and she rubbed his back. “Hey, Finn. You been a good boy?” He got down, stood next to her and observed the strangers.  
  
Sam bent down and Finn went to smell him. He pet Finn and the dog wagged his tail in appreciation. “What a beautiful dog” Sam said. “I always wanted one. Dean’s not exactly a huge fan of dogs.”  
  
Dean gave Sam a look and then shot back to Riley with a big cheesy smile, “I like dogs. I do. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Riley turned with a questioning look on her face and Dean hit Sam in the arm. “Dude. Not cool.”  
  
She went to the kitchen and grabbed glasses from the shelves, and found the bottle of whiskey stashed under the sink. The boys went to the table and she brought everything to join them. Finn settled next to her chair and laid his head on her feet.  
As she poured the glasses, Dean let out a scoff. “Man, what are the odds? I mean, it’s Lawrence. Small town…but still.”  
  
Riley took a drink and sighed as it burned in her throat. “You’re not wrong.”  
  
Sam let out a throaty chuckle. “Life’s funny that way, I guess.”  
  
The front door opened and Deb walked in; her apron draped over her arm and taking her hair out of its tied up bun. Finn ran to greet her. She rubbed his head and looked up. “Oh, didn’t know we were having company. Dean, nice to see you again.”  
  
“You too, Debbie. This is my brother, Sam.”  
  
Her eyes widened. Riley jumped in, “Yup, Sam and Dean Winchester.” She turned to the brothers, “And yes, Aunt Deb knows all about it.”  
  
“I knew I recognized that face. Dean, I haven’t seen you since you were a kid. And Sam…my god, you were just a baby.” Deb pulled up a chair and joined the group. “Now that love of pie makes so much sense” she said eyeing Dean.  
  
Dean let out a small gasp at his realization, “Dammit! I dropped my pie!”  
  
Debbie laughed, “don’t worry, honey. There’s plenty where that came from.” She got up, grabbed two pies from the refrigerator and some forks, and brought them to the table. “Dig in. We don’t need plates when we’re with family.” Dean lit up in excitement and went right for the pie as Riley did the same.  
  
“So, the Winchesters are back in Lawrence. Is your dad with you?”  
  
“We’re only in town for a case. Dad’s out kind of doing his own thing right now” Dean said with a full mouth.  
  
“You boys came in for the vamp nest, didn’t you?”  
  
“Yes, ma'am” Sam chimed in.  
  
Dean shook his head with his mouth full, “mm-mm. She doesn’t like that. Gotta call her Debbie.”  
  
Sam, being slightly embarrassed of his brother, returned to his conversation. “So, you know all about the job?”  
  
“Oh, yes” she replied. She lifted a small bite of pie to her mouth, chewed and swallowed. She sighed. “My brother was a hunter. Cost him his damn life.” Sadness fell over Riley’s face. She hated that her aunt still hurt so deeply. Not to mention how disappointed she was that Riley was following in her father’s footsteps.  
  
“We heard about Jack. We were all so sad to hear of his passing” Sam added. “If you don’t mind me asking, we never heard what happened.”  
  
Riley put her fork down, ran her hand through her hair as it fell back in her face and she took a deep breath. Dean could see the pain in her face and put his hand on top of hers on the table. She looked at him and could see the comfort in his eyes. He was calming her. How can he already be able to do that?  
  
“Dad had been hunting down the thing that killed mom for as long as I can remember. That’s why he became a hunter. I don’t even remember my mom. I was only six months old when she died. That night, he didn’t tell me he was after it again. He said 'he had to handle some business’ and went alone. I would have never let him go if I had known.” Riley choked back tears and cleared her throat.  
  
“Wait a minute. Was your dad after a demon? A demon with yellow eyes” Dean asked.  
  
Both Riley and Deb’s face went white. They looked at each other and then back at Dean. Both froze. Debbie finally spoke. “H-how did you know that?”  
  
“Because that’s the same thing that killed our mom too.” Sam’s face in disbelief as he answered her. “Dean, Jack must have been working with dad on the case the whole time. We always knew they went on hunts together but they never really talked about them with us.”  
  
Deb took a breath and continued, “he was gone so much. Riley was just a baby and spent a lot of her time with me. I practically raised her. Whenever Jackson would come back home, he would teach her everything he could about the life. I hated every second of it. Watching her learn to handle a gun when she was only in kindergarten made me sick. But, Riley wanted to be a “hero” just like her daddy. I knew I couldn’t stop her, no matter how hard I tried.“ She grabbed Riley’s glass and downed the last bit of whiskey, trying to stifle her emotions. "And then one day 'Riley was old enough to hunt’.” She scoffed in annoyance. “She was just a child. But she didn’t want to be away from her father and wanted to help him find the creature that killed her mom.”  
  
“Deb, it was never easy leaving you. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to.” Riley reached her hand to Debbie’s and squeezed. “You were like a mom to me. That never changed.” Deb squeezed back.  
  
“So, you hunt alone now?” Dean said surprised.  
  
“Yup. Well, Finn comes too. Sometimes. He’s mostly there for the company on the rides and in the motels, but he’s saved my life a couple times. He’s the only partner I’ve ever had besides dad.” She reached under the table and pet the sleeping dog.  
  
“Well,” Deb sighed as she stood up. “I have to go close the diner and clean up. Riley, you’re off the clock tonight. Stay here and finish your night.” She kissed Riley’s head and looked to the boys. “It was nice to see you both.”  
  
“You too,” replied Dean. “Thanks for everything.” She gave a half smile and headed out the door.  
  
Riley stood to clear the table and Sam stopped her, “I got it,” he said.  
  
She realized that Dean never let go of her hand. They had absently intertwined their fingers and found comfort in each other. She looked at him and their eyes locked. The electricity again. You could feel it in the air around them.  
  
Sam quickly cleaned up and saw the two of them. He cleared his throat. “Well, I’m gonna head back to the motel. Thanks for everything, Riley. It was really nice to meet you.”  
  
“You too, Sam.”  
  
They exchange looks and Dean nodded in his direction as to say “I’ll be there in a bit”. Sam acknowledged the notion, pat the dog, and left.  
  
Alone again. “Come on.” Riley grabbed her glass with her free hand, and with the other lead Dean to the couch. He quickly grabbed his glass as well. The couch was a dark blue and incredibly clean. Dean was impressed with how neat Aunt Deb kept her home.  
  
They both sat down and looked at each other. “I gotta admit, Winchester; I did not see tonight going the way it did.”  
  
He let out a throaty laugh. “Definitely not.” He searched for the right words. “You’re incredible though, Riley. You just keep surprising me.”  
  
“In a good way, I hope.” She smirked at him and he felt chills go up his neck.  
  
“In all the best ways.” He said. She smiled and took a drink. He paused, gathering the courage to keep talking. “You were right. You’re not like most girls. You’re something different altogether. …I don’t think there’s anyone like you.” He looked up and caught her eye. Electricity.  
  
“Listen,” he said, putting down both their drinks. “I gotta do this before something stops me again or I’m gonna regret it.” He pushes her hair out of her face and takes her chin in his hand. Slowly, the space between them closes and their lips touch. Riley felt a spark in her that she never had with any other guy. It was terrifying, but amazing. He was amazing.  
  
As the kiss intensified, her hands slipped behind his neck and his other hand finds her hip. They pulled each other closer together and begin to lose themselves in the moment. The rest of the world faded. The pain, the stress, the monsters; gone. All that existed was them.  
  
Dean ran his hands through her hair as she pulled him close by his jacket. _“I am not gonna let this girl go,”_ Dean thought to himself before slowly laying her down on the couch, their kiss never breaking.

* * *

  
The next morning, the boys drove down the main strip of town, the sound of Baby rumbling beneath them. It was the most soothing sound they had ever known. She was their home.  
  
Dean flipped open his phone to reveal a message from Riley: come in through the back. See you soon.  
  
A Blue Oyster Cult song played softly from Dean’s “go-to” cassette tape. Sam broke the silence, “so, you sure you wanna see Riley after your night together? I’ve never seen you do that before.”  
  
Dean knew he was right. “It’s not like that, Sammy. We kissed; that’s all. And yeah, I definitely want to see her.” Sam was pleasantly surprised by his brother’s response and nodded in understanding.  
  
After turning off the engine, they stepped out of the car; the doors creaking behind them as they slammed shut. As they walked around the back, they saw the diner in the daylight. Memories from the night before played in their minds. Remnants of blood that couldn’t get cleaned up were still there.  
  
Opening the door, the brothers stepped inside. Riley was sitting cross legged on the couch with papers, newspapers and a map sprawled around her on one side and Finn on the other. She glanced up, trying to not seem too eager to see Dean. “Hey, guys. Good morning.”  
  
“Morning” they both replied.  
  
Dean sat on a single chair close to Riley, and Sam sat on the longer end of the sofa and greeted Finn. The golden pup was already a fan of the youngest Winchester. Riley sipped her coffee and nodded towards the side table. “There’s a fresh pot if you want some, help yourselves.”  
  
Dean got up and poured two mugs full, giving one to Sam and then returning to his chair. He looked at Riley and studied her. She was beautiful in the morning. Her hair up in a messy bun, glasses that were sexy as hell sat on her nose, and she sat in sweats, a Led Zepplin t-shirt and socks. She didn’t even have to try. “So whatcha got?”  
  
“Looks like all the attacks have been up north on the furthest skirts of town towards the city of Midland.”  
  
“I did some digging, and saw that there have been attacks littered over the last 25 years. Usually was only one here and there, so it didn’t look like more than a few stragglers” Sam chimed in.  
  
“Yeah well, with the death toll piling up, and the visit from our friends last night, I’d say it’s a safe bet we have a full blown nest now.” Riley pushed everything to the side to focus on the conversation and the warm coffee in her two cupped hands. She always joked about how the smell of coffee would “wake up her soul” as she was not a morning person.  
  
“Ok, so what’s the plan?” Dean asked while he sipped his coffee thinking how much he couldn’t focus without it in the mornings.  
  
“I say we stake it out tonight. If we think we can handle it, we go in. If not, we gather intel and we’ll regroup for tomorrow. At least if we’re there, they can’t leave without us knowing,” Riley added.  
  
“Sounds good to me. Guess we have the day to kill,” Dean said with hope in his voice. Sam could hear exactly where his brother was going with this.  
  
“Well, let’s go grab some breakfast and we’ll make plans from there. I am in dire need of more coffee. I’ll go change and meet you in the diner” Riley got up and pat her side for Finn to follow. Dean can’t help but watch her every move and she knows it.  
  
“Great! I’m starving” Sam shoots out.  
  
“Meet you in ten.”

* * *

  
After a day of lounging in Aunt Deb’s apartment, copious amounts of delicious food, and a couple of classic movies, it was time for the hunters to head out. After grabbing her gear and giving a kiss on Finn’s soft head, Riley followed the boys out to the car.  
  
Dean popped the trunk to check on their supplies while the sun set softly behind them. The sky barely lit with beautiful orange and yellow colors coming over the horizon. Riley gazed down into the trunk and was thrilled with all the different “hunter toys” it held.  
  
“Ohhhhh my god.” She pulled out a baseball bat wrapped in barbed-wire and grinned as she admired it. “This is so badass.”  
  
Dean chortled. “That’s one of dad’s absolute favorites.”  
  
“Don’t think I won’t be taking a swing with this baby at some point.”  
  
Sam let out a playful sigh. “My god there’s two of them.”  
  
After Riley and Dean exchange a flirty glance, they shut the trunk and walked around Baby. Sam went to the front passenger door and opened it for Riley. “Such a gentlemen” she teased. He closed the door for her after she slid in. Sam looked at Dean over the car and mouthed to him, “you’re welcome.”  
  
After all three are in the car, Dean started the engine and turned up the music. “Let’s do this.”

* * *

  
Night had fallen as the Impala’s lights had turned off and rolled to a stop. It hid behind some brush and just shy of a beat up metal gate that lead up to a private property. From there they could still quietly watch to make sure no one left the cabin on the hill. A beat up old van sat next to it and warm lights came seeping out of the house windows.  
  
Quiet surrounded the car with only the sound of crickets chirping around them.  
  
“Did we happen to get maps for the property? Do we know if there’s a driveway on the other side?” Riley was frustrated that she wasn’t able to find them while researching.  
  
“No.” Sam added.  
  
“Dammit.”  
  
Dean saw this as an opportunity to get a moment with Riley and formulated an idea. He put his arm over the seat and looked back at Sam in the backseat. “Well, Sammy, how about we stay here and you do recon around the property? You can come back and let us know what find.” A look of “play along” on his face.  
  
Sam rolled his eyes. “Sure. Why not?” he said with annoyance in his tone. Grabbing a flashlight and packing his gun into his hip, he got out of the car and tried to close the door gently.  
  
Dean peeked his head through the crack in the window and whispered, “take your time. No rush.”  
  
Sam rolled his eyes again and began his trudge down the road, keeping his eyes peeled.  
  
With Sam no longer in view, Riley and Dean are alone again. They both had been hoping all day for the moment that would happen. She couldn’t tell if last night meant as much to him as it did to her. Maybe it was just a playful night together after a fight. What she didn’t know was Dean had been aching to kiss her again all day. He just wasn’t sure if he would be pushing it with Sam being around.  
  
Finally he broke the silence. “Listen, at the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, I really like you. I had such a good time with you last night. Even if our night was interrupted by blood crazed monsters.” They both let out breathy giggles. “But had that not happened, I may have never seen what a badass hunter you are.”  
  
Her stomach flipped. Knowing that she impressed him filled her with a pride that she couldn’t contain. Watching him in the fray last night turned her on in ways she was definitely surprised by.  
  
“Last night was awesome. Definitely my most interesting date so far.”  
  
His lips pressed together while a smile grew behind them. She looked so perfect. There hadn’t been a moment since they met that he didn’t think so.  
  
She bit her lip seeing his gaze and it was happening all over again. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Their eyes shut and lost in the gentle moment between them. They broke apart only to softly smile and look at each other once again. A fire grew in their stomachs. It grew and grew filling their chests and making them dizzy. Breathing heavy and not able to take it another second, the two crashed their lips together and pulled each other closer than they thought possible. And yet, it still wasn’t close enough. His hands were everywhere; grabbing at her sides, her face, in her hair and on her neck. Hers grabbing his shirt and pulling at the nape of his neck while the short hairs rubbed against her hand. They were completely lost in each other, forgetting where they even were.  
  
The back door opened and the two jumped to look back at Sam getting in the car but hesitating as he sees the couple. “Oh, I’m sorry, should I come back?” he asked sarcastically.  
  
“Shut up, Sammy. What did you find out?” Dean asked trying to catch his breath.  
  
“This is their only way out. If they leave, we’ll know it. I was able to get a view into the window and heard them talking. They’re pissed about the three vamps we took out last night. Losing them apparently brought their nest down to four. They know it happened behind the diner and they plan to hit it hard.”  
  
Riley’s eyes grew with anger and a hint of panic as the thought of Aunt Deb getting hurt. “That’s it. I say we handle these bastards now. No way in hell am I letting them near my home.”  
  
Dean loved this side of her. The hunter side. She was always ready for a fight and clearly had a loyal and brave heart. It made her that much more attractive. He wanted her even more. His mind set on being by her side and raring to go, he looked at her and then Sam. “Agreed. Sam, you in?”  
  
“Let’s go.”  
  
The three got out quietly and grabbed their gear. A gun on each of their hips, knives hidden in boots or sheathed in jackets, and a machete in hand, Riley reached for the bat. She gave a look that sent chills up Dean;s spine and drove him wild while her hands tightened their grip around it.  
  
With purpose and intensity, the three strode up the hill, ready for whatever awaited them behind that cabin door.  
  
The remaining four vampires sat in the main room venting their anger in front of a roaring fireplace. Thirsty for blood and revenge, one of the men with black hair and a large build hissed under his breath. “I’m not waiting. Those fuckin hunters took out our kin. They die tonight.” The rest of the nest in agreeance, they got up ready to leave.  
Just as their decision was made, the door is kicked open. It swung with such power it slammed against the wall and chips from where the door met the frame splintered out. Riley went in first determined to lead the group. This was personal. She took large controlled strides into the house. She swung the bat with abandon and hit the black haired monster in the head, caving in the side of his skull. He hit the floor and she swung another two times ensuring that he’s down. Dean and Sam went in opposite directions ready to take their part in the fight. Punches are thrown and the youngest Winchester took a blow to the jaw that caused him to falter back. He shook it off and charged back at the creature.  
  
On the other side of the room, Dean is faced off with a long haired vampire in a leather vest. As they danced around a bit, trying to corner each other, he looked at the vamp. “You know, you reek of 'douchebag’.” The vested animal let his rage take over and rushed at Dean. The perfect opportunity came for him to duck away. He turned and sliced the vampire’s head off its shoulders. Turning around still riding the high of the kill, he removed the head of the other one fighting his brother.  
  
Riley, face to face with the only remaining creature, was met with the face of a woman with a pixie haircut. Her teeth were bared and she snarled at the hunter. “You, bitch! You come into our house and destroy my family?”  
  
A cocky smile grew on Riley’s face as she tensed around the bat and jested, “better yours than mine, you piece of shit.” After a couple swings and misses, the vampire lost her step and is met with a swipe to the face. She hit the ground, blood dripping from her head and realizing she couldn’t stand.  
  
Riley walked behind her and opened her hand trading Dean for the machete. She grasped it firmly and walked back to the beaten monster leaning back on her hands. Barely able to get out words the woman hissed through her breaths, “you…hunters…you’ll never win. There’s too-there’s too many of us. We’ll always…come for you.”  
  
With one final look Riley replied, “and we’ll always be ready.” With one swift motion, the blade cuts off the woman’s head and it thumps to the ground.

* * *

  
Baby pulled up in front of the diner. Deb had already closed up for the night and must have gone to bed.  
  
Exhausted, covered in blood and still coming down from the high of the tussle, there’s a moment of silence between them.  
  
“You know, Riley, you’re a damn good hunter. We could use someone like you by our side more often,” Sam let out from the back seat.  
  
“He’s right,” Dean added. “You kicked serious ass tonight.”  
  
Riley sighed. “This was the first time I hadn’t gone on a hunt alone since I lost dad. I guess I was always too scared to. Couldn’t afford to lose another partner.” Her head fell slightly and she knew that if she got too close to these boys, she would lose them too.  
  
“Hey,” Dean said lifting her chin up softly to look at him. “Look, this job sucks. We’ve lost more friends and family than we ever care to admit. It hurts every damn day. The thought of losing more? It’s almost too much to bear. But, this isn’t a one man show, honey. We survive and thrive because we do it together.”  
  
A small smile came over Riley’s face and she knew he was right. Sam’s hand landed on her shoulder and her hand landed on top of his. “You have two partners right here if it feels right to you. We can figure out all this shit together; as a team. We’ll go after Yellow Eyes, together. We’ll always have your back.”  
  
The thought thrilled Dean to his core and he couldn’t help but grin. “Sammy’s right. So whaddya say, kid?”  
  
A million thoughts ran through her head while she tried to fight her fear of losing more of the people she cared about. “I…I need to think about it. I know you guys are headed out in the morning. I’ll let you know then.”  
  
Both brothers nodded in agreement and a swell of comradery swept through the car. Whatever her decision, a bond had been formed. She just needed to make sure she made the right one.  
  
Riley leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Dean’s lips. She looked at him and then back at Sam, “goodnight, guys.” Getting out of the car and swinging her bag over her shoulder, she walked into the back of the diner.  
  
“I really hope she says yes, Sammy.”  
  
“Me too, Dean.”

* * *

  
It was a brisk morning and more leaves had covered the streets and sidewalks of the quiet street. The mood in the town had shifted. It was lighter. Evil had left Lawrence; for the time being.  
  
Dean stood leaning against Baby never breaking his gaze from the diner door. He had tossed and turned all night worried that he would have to say goodbye to her, and he just wasn’t ready.  
  
Sam saw the concern in his eyes. “She still might come. We’ll give her a few more minutes.” Even he was keeping his hope that the new friend he had made would be leaving with them.  
  
Dean’s heart sank and with a heavy sigh, he turned to the door to get in the car. Behind him he heard the soft jingle of the diner’s bell. Turning around, he saw her. She was grinning from ear to ear; a bag over her shoulder and a guitar case in her hand. Finn and Deb followed close behind.  
  
“Still got room for one more, Winchesters?”  
  
“Hell yeah.” Dean hugged her and took her things to put in the back seat. Sam came to her and hugged her tight. “You play guitar?”  
  
“Oh, Winchesters, I’m full of surprises.”  
  
Riley walked over to Finn and got down to his level. A tear in her eye she pet him and rubbed his ears while she looked him over. “I love you, buddy. You’re my best friend and nothing will ever change that. But we’re going after something too big and I can’t risk you getting hurt. Aunt Deb’s gonna take good care of you. I promise I’ll be back soon.” She wrapped her arms around the whining dog and kissed his head. “I love you so much.” Tears crept up in her eyes and the lump in her throat threatened every breath she took.  
  
Getting up she squeezed Deb. Debbie whispered in her ear while her voice broke and she held back tears with each word. “You come back to us, you hear me?” “I promise. I love you so much.”  
  
Both pulling themselves together, Riley walked towards the Impala. Debbie hugged the boys and handed Dean a large bag. “It’s filled with food for the road. I made sure I packed some pie in there too.”  
  
His smile was beyond genuine and he hugged her one more time. “You take care of her,” she whispered.  
  
“Thank you, for everything. I promise to get her back to you.”  
  
The trio got in the car; Riley and Dean in the front again and Sam in the back. With tears slowly rolling down her cheeks she waved one more time. She had no idea how long it would be until she hugged her family again. “ _I hope I made the right decision_ ” she thought as she wiped the tears from her face. Dean backed out of the spot and headed on the road. Finn and Debbie right where she left them, fading in the side mirror.  
  
Dean saw her pain and squeezed her hand. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. “Music?” she asked as she turned the dial. Nothing ever took her mind of things like the beautiful sound of memories. That’s what music was. It was solace. It was dad.  
  
Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” came through the speakers and it was like dad had sent a message just for her. This was their song. She beamed knowing he was always with her.  
  
“I love this song!” The music swept through her soul and she sang to the tune. _“I was a little too tall. Could’ve used a few pounds. Tight pants points hardly reknown. She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes. And points all her own sitting way up high…”_  
  
“Woah, she sings too,” Dean said teasingly and soaking up every beautiful sound that she shared.  
  
“Always the tone of surprise with you, Dean. _Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy. Out in the back seat of Dean’s '67 Chevy. Workin’ on mysteries without any clues._ Come on, boys!”  
  
In that brief moment during the verse, he watched her as she warmed his heart. Every word and ridiculous sway she did in the front seat of his car…was magic. She was magic.  
  
The brothers chuckled in return and joined in and they all sang in unison. “ _Workin’ on our night moves. Trying’ to make some front page drive-in news. Workin’ on our night moves in the summertime. In the sweet summertime.”_  
  
In that moment, driving past the sign reading “you are now leaving Lawrence, come back soon!” and lost in the “night moves”, the three of them just enjoyed being together. It felt right; like pieces of a puzzle were slowly coming together and finally making more sense.  
  
Sam got comfortable in the back seat and Riley scooted closer to Dean. He wrapped his arm around her as they both imagined the roads to come. This was the start of something. Something…great.

* * *


	2. Bloody Mary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some time has passed, Riley is still on the road with the Winchesters. More strange things begin to happen to her and she can feel her secrets beginning to pile up. While on the hunt for "Bloody Mary", the group bonds and Riley and Dean start to realize their real feelings for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All phrases in bold are lines from the show and are not my own. All credit goes to the writers of Supernatural.

It had been several months since Riley had left Lawrence. She had stopped counting the days a while back. The trio had already fought a Wendigo, a ghost and a demon that was hell bent on crashing a plane. She still had a small cut on her forehead from taking a hit during the insane turbulence on the flight. Needless to say, they’d kept plenty busy.

Riley was sound asleep in the back of the car and Sam was asleep in the front seat, leaving Dean to drive. Shooting out of his sleep, Sam was shaking and left gasping for air. It woke Riley and she lunged in his direction in a natural reflex to help. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah...bad dream I guess.” He tried to compose himself.

Dean glanced at Sam. “You’ve been having a lot of those lately.”

She pulled herself against the seat next to his head. She could hear the trembling in his voice. He was terrified. “It’s ok, Sam. I have them too,” she said laying a hand on his shoulder. It was the only comfort she could give. As they connected, a wave of heartbreak and shame ran through her. It was enough to nearly knock her back. It took everything she had not to sob from the pain. A tear escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, hoping they didn’t see. Was this what Sam was feeling? Why did this keep happening?

_ I miss her so much. _

She had watched Sam's face, and his lips had never moved. “ _ This can’t be happening,”  _ she thought. It had been happening more and more ever since that day with Aunt Deb in the diner. “ _ Reading people’s thoughts? I’m not telepathic. What the fuck is going on? Am I going crazy?” _

“I was actually gonna bring that up, Riley. I just didn’t know how. Even in the next room I can hear you crying in your sleep. You both have  _ got _ to try to relax. I hate seeing you guys like this.” Dean tried to focus on the road ahead. He had been worried about them both for months.

He pulled into a gas station to fill up. “I’ll grab the snacks,” Sam said as he hopped out of the car and headed to the small convenience shop. His hands were in his pockets and his head hung low.

Riley knew what all that was about. She and Sam had become so close and told each other practically everything. In their first month together, after a couple beers, Sam finally told her about Jessica. His heart broke all over again telling Riley how he lost the love of his life.

She laid her arms on top of the front seat and rested her head on them. “Dean, I’m worried about him.”

He sighed while watching his little brother through the store windows. “I know. I just don’t know how to help him, you know?”

“I don’t think you can.”

Dean turned his head towards her, and a look of empathy and understanding was staring back at him. Looking into her eyes was like watching the ocean; tranquil and inviting. His heart ached a little less from that look alone. “I know,” he said as he closed his eyes; trying to make peace with the fact that he couldn’t fix this for Sam.

“You’re a good brother, Dean.” She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss. It was enough to soften the worry on his face. She smiled. “I’ll be right back.” She got out and jogged over to the restroom. He never took his eyes off her; taking in every movement she made.

Dean got out and paid at the pump with a fake credit card under the name “Mark Smith”. A cool breeze blew against him, and he shivered. He popped up his jacket collar and nuzzled into it. As he began to fuel up Baby, Sam came back, a bag of snacks and drinks in hand.

He threw the plastic bag on the front seat and leaned up against the car. Opening his new water, he looked at his brother. “So, what’s going on with you guys? Are you dating? Are you together…?” Sam knew there was no easing into this conversation.

“Actually, I don’t know what we are. I just know I like her. A lot. She makes me happy. Happier than I have been in a long time. The label doesn’t really matter, you know? As long as I’m with her, I’m good.”

Sam was so happy for his brother. He had never seen him bond with a girl the way he had been with Riley. The playboy he knew was falling for his friend...hard. He could read it on his face. Then sadness swept back through him. That was what Jess was for him. She was his everything. He would give anything to hold her one more time; to tell her how much he loved her.

As they all get back in the car, Sam changed the subject to push the pain aside if only for a brief moment. “Alright, so we got a case. Toledo, Ohio. Daughter finds her dad dead on the floor of the bathroom; covered in blood that had all drained from his eyes. And get this, they were almost completely liquidated.”

Dean made a face of utter disgust. “Well that’s lovely. No sign of a struggle?”

“Nope. And no evidence whatsoever. No fingerprints, DNA, witnesses...nothing.”

“Well, it sounds like we’re going to Toledo,” Riley added.

The engine revved. Riley reached over the seat to grab a bag of chips out of the snack bag as they pulled out of the station.

* * *

Riley, Sam and Dean walked into the coroner's office. Dean tried to muster up a good excuse for the coroner’s assistant to let them see the body. After they failed to get by while claiming they were med students, Sam decided to butt in. He handed the guy $100 and the assistant nodded towards the door for them to follow him.

**“Dude. I** **_earned_ ** **that money,” Dean barked.**

**Sam scoffed, “...at a poker game.”**

**“Uh...yeah!”**

Riley stifled a laugh and rubbed Dean’s arm. Consoling his "great loss" as they walked into the examination room. “Aww, I’ll help you earn it back. I’m probably better than you at pool anyways.” He looked down at her and playfully mocked her words.

The room was cold and medical. It reeked of death. No matter how many years on the job, it’s never a smell you completely got used to. A harsh fluorescent light hung above the room. Even covered in bright light, the room still would send a chill of discomfort up your spine.

The assistant examined the labels on the many drawers on the wall, and pulled the handle of one out toward him. A metal clunk came from the drawer as it extended completely. The group gathered around the slab as the assistant pulled back the sheet. Mr. Shoemaker’s hollowed out, melted eyes seemed to stare back at them. “Official cause of death was an aneurysm. Doc thinks it may have been a stroke.”

“Really?” Dean said in disbelief. “ **You ever seen a stroke that made someone’s eyes explode?** ” He looked down at the body looking for clues.

“We’re gonna need to see the police report.” Riley leaned in also get a closer look herself; feeding her morbid fascination.

The assistant shook his head. “I’m not supposed to show you that.” She looked up at him and bat her lashes. “You know,” she said slowly walking towards him. “It would mean a lot to me if you could help us out. We have a paper due next week and it’s half our grade. I can’t afford to not pass this class. Could you just show it to us for a couple minutes? It would mean so much to me. Please?” She placed a hand gently on his arm and he swallowed hard.

“I--I guess it would be ok for just a few minutes.”

“I seriously can’t thank you enough.” Riley slid her hand softly down his arm pulling away. Dean’s eyes grew and he stared at Sam. A look of “ _ what the fuck?”  _ was written all over his face. The assistant walked away, stumbling as he goes.

“See boys? Just gotta know how to ask nice.” She winked and went back to examining the body.

* * *

The Shoemaker home was filled with mourning friends and family. It was warm and inviting even with the grief that filled the room. Everyone dressed in black evening wear. Dean looked at his partners. “ **I think we’re a little underdressed.** ”

Walking respectfully through family room, they found their way to the backyard. Mr. Shoemaker’s teenage daughter was sitting on a wooden bench that laid on the edge of the grass on the stone patio. She was crying; her friends trying to console her. She had short brown hair that flipped up at the bottom and was in a black dress that stopped at her knees. As they walked closer, Riley began to feel the emotions and hurt that radiated from her.

“Hi, I’m Sam. This is my brother Dean and our friend, Riley. We’re sorry to hear about your dad. We knew him through work.”

“We’re so sorry to bother you,” Riley added. “We heard it was a stroke. Did your dad ever talk about having any symptoms? Headaches or anything like that?”

“No. Never. Dad was always really healthy. I just don’t understand.” Mr. Shoemaker’s eldest daughter, Donna, muffled her cries. She wiped her face with the bundled Kleenex in her hand.

“It was Bloody Mary,” a small voice to the side said. “Before he died, I said ‘Bloody Mary’ three times. It’s my fault. She takes your eyes. That’s what she did to my dad.” The youngest Shoemaker, Lily, was no more than 7. She had long dark blonde hair that fell over her shoulders, half up in a bow. Tears welled up in her eyes. The hunters looked at each other, trying not to look too conspicuous.

Dean knelt down next to Lily. “Hey. It wasn’t your fault, ok? Bad things just happen sometimes. You can’t blame yourself when you’ve done nothing wrong.” She looked at him and slowly nodded her head, trying to believe the words of the kind stranger.

Riley watched as Dean consoled the little girl. She could feel his sincerity with Lily. After practically raising Sam, he was always great with kids. Before he stood, he took her hand and cupped it in his, giving her a little smile.

“Thank you for your time. Again, I’m so sorry for your loss.” Sam gave a look to the others and they walked back into the house.

Sneaking up the stairs, they found the hallway bathroom. Upon opening the door, blood stains scattered all over the floor. Even after a thorough clean, the tile remained stained by the blood of Mr. Shoemaker. The color reflected the horrors that happened in the room only a few nights before.

“I don’t get it,” Riley said walking towards the mirror. “Everyone plays ‘Bloody Mary’. Nothing ever happens? Why now?”

Dean crouched to the floor to get a better look at the blood splatter patterns.  **“I don’t know. Maybe everywhere else it’s just a story. Maybe here, it’s actually real. The legend may have started here.”**

**“But it just doesn’t add up. Bloody Mary only goes after the ones that summon her. Legend goes, you say her name three times and she scratches your eyes out.”** Sam took a closer look at the mirror, but found nothing.

“Well, looks like it’s time to find proof of the actual legend. Who’s up for a day of research?” Riley gave Dean a look knowing how much he hated it. His eyes rolled and his head fell back as a groan escaped his throat.

* * *

Back at the motel, everyone was working through everything they could find. There was little to no information on Bloody Mary and her connection to the town. Dean sat in a chair propped up against the window; his boots crossed over each other on the chair in front of him. He was rubbing his temple trying to be patient as he read the book in his lap.

“Well, I got nothing. There have been a few women who committed suicide in their bathrooms, but none named Mary. Oh, and a guy had a mirror fall on him." He feigned a gasp. "Maybe...we’re looking for Bloody  _ Martin _ .” His eyebrows raised and a look of mischief on his face. He was too pleased with his pun.

Riley rolled her eyes with a smile. She was sitting on the floor, papers and books spread around her as she examined everything. Her glasses helping her tired eyes focus on the task at hand.

_ God this sucks. Of course the library’s computers were down. And how the hell am I supposed to focus with her looking like that? _

She looked up thinking she heard Dean speak. He quickly went back to his book, pretending he hadn’t been staring. She softly smiled, knowing he was thinking about her.

The phone rang and Sam got up from his spot on the bed against the headboard to grab it from the small side table. “Hello?” He listened for a while and his face fell as the conversation went on. “Ok, uh..thanks.” He ended the call and looked over at Riley and Dean.

“...a girl is dead.”

* * *

_ Riley stood in the corner of a cheap motel room. The wallpaper was a terrible green patterned print and the bedding looked worn and uninviting. A wooden pillar stood between her and the rest of the room. "Have I been here before," she thought? _

_ “Hello?” a concerned voice echoed from outside the room. She turned to look at the door. A man walked in the already ajar door, holding beer and take out food. Putting all the contents he was carrying onto the small table by the door, he turned. _

_ “...dad?” She stepped further into the room, desperate to see more. _

_ Jackson Munroe. He had dark brown hair that he could run his fingers through and soft blue eyes. They were hypnotizing. He was tall and broad. His muscles sat snug underneath his shirt. _

_ His eyes moved to the main room and he slowly stepped forward. There was blood everywhere. Some had even splattered onto the mirror on the large wooden dresser and across the wall. His heart sank in his chest and his voice was soft with fear. “Riley…?” Her boots jutted from the other side of the bed. _

_ “NO!” With a guttural scream, he ran to her side and threw himself beside her. Her face was vacant and pale. Her eyes were barely open and her head was turned facing the side of the bed. Her throat had been slit...deep. The slaying was so brutal, it was enough to make anyone sick. Jackson scooped his little girl’s lifeless body from the pool of blood and into his arms. He was sobbing uncontrollably. _

_ He cradled her and pushed her hair out of her face so he could see his “baby girl”. Even in death she was beautiful. _

_ “Oh, honey. No. Baby, no. Come back to me. Don’t leave me, Riley! I need you.” _

_ His scream-like sobs filled the room. The pain so real, it sounded as though he himself was dying. _

“DAD!” Riley shot up out of bed wide awake. Tears were running down her vacant face and she had sweat down her back. She was in her motel room. It was silent and the light from the parking lot only illuminated a small part of the room. She grabbed her throat and looked down to check her hands for blood.

It was always the same fucking dream. Why? It’s been happening ever since dad died. No dream had ever been more clear or real than these, and she feared sleep for that very reason. The monsters in her waking moments never brought her the pain she felt from her father in that dream.

Dean came in from the adjoining room, concern written all over his face. “Hey, you ok?”

She wiped the tears from her face before turning to him and cleared her throat. “Yeah. Damn nightmare again.”

“Ok, well...I’m right next door if you need anything.” He hesitated before leaving, wanting to make sure she was ok. Riley never really could hide her emotions from him.

“Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“Would it be ok if you slept with me? I know that sounds stupid, but Finn usually helps keep the dreams at bay and without him--”

“No need to explain. I’m here.” He walked over to her in his sweats and a black t-shirt; his feet shuffled on the carpet in a sleepy drag.

She lifted the sheets and scooted over, making room for him. He got into the bed and laid on his back with one arm stretched out and the other bent under his head. Riley laid on her side, pulling the blankets over them as she rested her head on his warm chest. Her arm wrapped around his torso and she could feel the oxygen returning to her lungs. Her heart rate slowed with every moment he held her.

He softly played with her hair as he inhaled that blissful smell that she always had. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Riley took a deep breath and exhaled. “It’s just always the same dream over and over. I watch my dad find my body after being brutally murdered. He’s holding me and screaming, begging for me to come back to him.”

He could hear the heartbreak in her voice and all he wanted was to take away her pain. “It was just a dream. You’re safe. You’re here.”

“...but he isn’t.” Another tear silently slid down her cheek.

He stopped to think before he spoke again. “Hey, I get it. I wake up in a cold sweat a lot, having to remind myself what’s real and what isn’t. Most of the time? They’re about the people that I’ve lost, or the ones that I  _ could  _ lose. The thought of losing Sam, or dad, or you...I just -- all I’m saying is, you’re not alone in this.”

“Thank you, Dean.” If only he knew how much his words meant to her. She knew though that these weren’t like normal nightmares. She was always prepared for those. These dreams, took on a life of their own. What the hell did they mean?

“Listen, I’ll stay with you. Get some sleep.” She nuzzled into him and closed her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so safe. Dean kissed her forehead and rested his head on the pillow, taking his other arm and wrapping it around her. He didn’t care that nothing more would happen that night. To him, this was heaven. He hated that she was hurting and scared, but he would always be there to slay her monsters.

Her breathing changed and he could tell she was already sound asleep. A smile grew on his face. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

* * *

The next morning, the team went to the house of the murdered girl. It was a quiet house on a “cookie cutter street”. They gently climbed the trellis against the house with vines grown around it. Getting up to the roof landing, Dean pulled up the window on the second floor. He crawled into the dead teen’s bedroom; the other two followed in after him. The funeral was today, so no one was home.

The room looked like any other teenage girl’s. There were posters of boy bands and pictures of her friends littered across the wall. She had strung lights around the ceiling of the room that softly twinkled.

Dean put their equipment down on the soft white bed next to the lace pillow covers. He pulled out an EMF detector and went to work. It wasn’t picking up anything. Sam grabbed a video camera and switched it to night vision mode while facing Dean.

He used a ridiculous seducing face looking over his shoulder to look at the camera and pursed his lips. “I’m ready for my close up Mr. DeMille.” Sam shook his head and walked towards the bathroom.

Examining the room, Riley found nothing out of place. No sign of a struggle whatsoever. She picked up a picture off the desk of the teen and her family. Like a bolt of lightning, sadness ripped through her. She felt as though she was mourning someone she loved. It was making her hurt more with every passing second. She quickly put the frame back where she found it and went back to studying the room.

**“Alright, Mary. How are you choosing your victims?”** Sam closed in on the bathroom mirror with the camera. Through the night vision, he could see something dripping out from under the mirror. He put down the camera, grabbed the mirror off the hook on the wall and brought it to the bed. Flipping it over and tearing the back of the mirror open, he asked Dean to hand him the blacklight from the bag. Names appeared as he ran the light over the ripped backing. “Gary Bryman and Linda Shoemaker.”

“Wait, Linda Shoemaker? That’s the dead guy’s wife. She died a while ago.” Riley ran her hand over the names and felt immense fear and sadness consume her. She yanked away from it, not wanting to feel it anymore. The brothers watched her jump for no obvious reason, but decided not to ask questions.

* * *

“Well,” Riley started, “Gary Bryman was an 8 year old boy. He died a year ago from a hit and run. The driver was never found.  _ But,  _ the description of the car matched the one that the dead teenager drove.”

“Huh. Wait a minute. What if Mr. Shoemaker was responsible for his wife’s death? What if it wasn’t an overdose, but a poisoning?” Dean added while he cleaned his gun at the motel room table.

Sam had a realization. “It’s said that mirrors can reflect your soul. They show your secrets and lies. Hence, why it’s back luck to break them. What if Mary is punishing those who’s secrets revolve around a death?”

The three looked at each other feeling, they were on to something.

“Alright, well I’m gonna hit the shower.” Riley got up and stretched as she began to head for the bathroom. “I can’t promise there will be any hot water left when I’m done.”

The door closed and a few seconds later, the shower was on. Knowing that she couldn’t hear them, Sam knew that was his moment to get answers. He closed his book and turned to his brother.

“So… you weren’t in your bed this morning,” he teased.

“Yeah. She had a nightmare last night. I could hear her and it woke me up, so I went to check on her. She didn’t wanna be alone, so I stayed with her.” Sam’s eyes widened and a playful grin grew on his face. “It wasn’t like that. Nothing happened,,” Dean rebutted. “She just needed a friend. I think she really misses that mutt of hers too.”

“So, is that what you see her as? A friend?”

Dean groaned. “No... I mean, yes. She’s become one of my best friends over the last few months.”

“...but?”

He sighed. “But yes, there’s something more there. A lot more. I don’t wanna push it on her though. Things are going fine and they’ll progress the way they should. We’re taking it slow. The last thing I need is to scare her off by telling her that I’m crazy about her.”

“You are?” Sam smiled and felt pretty good about himself for calling that one.

Dean suddenly realized what he said. “Yeah...I guess I am.” He had never felt this way about anyone before. She was stealing his heart one day at a time and there was no stopping it. A look of acceptance and love ran over his face. He went back to cleaning his gun and Sam returned to his book.

Riley’s head popped out from the door, her body hiding behind it. “Alright, which one of you jerks took the last towel?”

* * *

Later that night, Sam had fallen into a deep sleep and Dean lied awake in bed. His thoughts racing about their earlier conversation.

A soft melody was coming from the connecting room. Throwing the blankets off and moving his legs over the side of the bed, he stood to walk towards the sound. The door was cracked open as he peered in. He pushed it further as the dim light from the room spread over his face.

Riley was sitting faced away from him on her bed, crossed legged as always. Her guitar rested on her knee as the neck of it was in her left hand. She was in a hoodie, her long hair falling down over her back. He always loved that her auburn-red hair reflected her fiery spirit.

She strummed to a beautiful rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man”, as she sang along to it in perfect harmony.

Dean was in a trance. He usually hated covers of his favorite bands, but hung on her every note and pick of the guitar. It was gentle and soothing. He melted and a calm rushed over him. How did she always look even more beautiful than the day before?

“ _ This woman couldn’t be more perfect if I dreamt her up myself. _ ”

She stopped and turned to face him after hearing his thoughts. He froze thinking he had made a noise to give himself away.

She smiled at him and pat the spot on the bed next to hear. As he sat down, Sam’s snores could lightly be heard from the other room. They quietly laughed and Dean shook his head.

“So you were spying on me huh?” she asked with a brow raised trying to mess with him.

“Oh you didn’t know by now? I’m a total creep.”

She let out a breathy laugh. “Should have known.”

“Not gonna lie, that song was amazing, Riley. You did Lynyrd proud.”

She blushed. “Nah, still a work in progress.”

“You know, you don’t give yourself enough credit. I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything you can’t do.”

Riley turned and stood the guitar on the base of its body, leaning it against the side table. She turned to face him and took his hand, interlacing their fingers. Meeting each other’s gaze, their eyes darted back and forth. They found themselves enthralled in one another.

“You make me nervous,” he admitted to her.

She chuckled. “I’m glad it’s not just me.”

“Definitely not, sweetheart.”

They leaned in, their lips finding the other’s. He pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms around him. As the tension grew between them, he picked her up and put her in his lap and her legs went around him. They couldn’t get enough of each other, but still didn’t push to go any further.

He kissed her neck slowly in the soft spot under her ear and on her jawline. Looking back up at her he knew, he was a goner. She was stealing his heart.

Their foreheads came together. Riley rubbed the back of his head gently as his hair brushed against her fingers. His hands ran up and down her back in loving motions.

“Dean? ...is this real? Whatever’s going on between us, I mean.”

He looked back at her and held her chin in his hand. “Oh, honey. This is as real as it gets.”

She felt his heart against her chest and breathed him in. Being in his arms was her favorite place to be. Moments with him passed too quickly but still felt frozen in time. She kissed him again, deep. “Stay with me again tonight?”

“I’ll never say no to that.”

He picked her up and brought her down on the bed with him. They laid side by side facing each other, their foreheads coming together again. His arms were wrapped around her and her hands clung at his sides, their legs intertwined.

After a moment of silence, Dean found the courage to speak and whispered, “It’s you and me, kid. I’m in this for the long haul.”

She turned her eyes to meet his. “I’m gonna hold you to that, Winchester.”

He kissed her again and then pulled her into his chest. They both soaked each other in and their eyes closed. This is what contentment felt like. This is what it meant to “find your person”.

They fell into a blissful sleep. There would be no nightmares that night for either of them. As long as they were together, they would keep each other safe.

* * *

Inside the police station, they were able to get the sergeant to speak with them. They asked if any “Mary’s”, beyond the immediate town, had been slain in the same way in front of a mirror. “There was one case years back that I never could solve. A young woman by the name of Mary Worthington died up in my old stomping grounds in Fort Worth, Indiana. But that’s pretty far out. Her eyes had been cut out, almost surgically. I always thought it was a guy named Trevor Sampson. A doctor. She was having an affair with him and was going to reveal their secret to his wife. I think he killed her to stop that from happening. He’s dead now.”

“Where is Mary buried, Sergeant?” Riley asked.

“She wasn’t. She was cremated.”

Sam stepped towards the desk. “Did the family happen to keep the mirror from Mary’s bathroom where she died?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” he said with surprise in his voice. “They just sold it to an antique store here in Toledo, a week ago. What are the odds you would ask about that?”

“Thank you for your time, sir.” Dean and the others turned to leave the station. “We know that mirrors are said to capture spirits. I say we find it and smash the crap out of it.”

“That means we gotta pin her to the mirror. She has to be summoned,” Riley said reluctantly.

Sam took a deep breath. “I’ll do it. She’ll come after me.”

Annoyed by his brother’s response, Dean grabbed him and pulled him to the side. He pushed Sam’s back against the hallway wall next to the exit. “Is this about Jessica? Are you thinking she’ll come after you because  _ you’re  _ responsible for Jess’ death? Dude, that’s crap and you know it.”

“You don’t know everything Dean. And right now? I can’t tell you or it won’t be a secret and the plan won’t work. So don’t push it, please.”

Riley jumped in, “I don’t like it Sam. This could end bad.”

“You guys gotta let me do this.” Sam’s eyes were pleading for them to understand. The two looked at each other fearing the worst.

Dean walked ahead, his hands in his jacket pockets. His face was full of frustration and concern. He hated this plan. “ _ Sammy is putting himself in danger for no damn reason _ .” He didn’t know if he could protect his brother if he was going to do something stupid.

Sam’s arm wrapped around Riley as he pulled her in for a hug. She smiled as she closed her eyes and squeezed him in return. Her head laid against his chest, which was covered by the soft gray shirt under his jacket. His chin rested on her head as they stood in silence for a few seconds. Sam released her just enough to look down at her.

“I don’t know what it is, but I feel connected to you...like you understand me.”

“ _ More than you know, Winchester,”  _ she thought.

“You’ve become so important to me. To both of us. You’re family. I can’t imagine us not all being together. It just feels right, you know?” He hugged her tightly again. “You know I love you, right?”

“I love you both...so much,” she spoke into his chest.

He closed his eyes tightly and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go.”

They walked down the long strip of concrete steps heading down to the street from the entrance. Dean was already in the car ready to go. He had music playing; his brow furrowed. If they needed to do this, they needed to just get it over with already.

* * *

It was close to midnight. All the shops had already closed and the street was empty. Parking the Impala a block or so away, in a nearby alley, Riley and the boys snuck up to the antique store. The street lights were dim, and it seemed as though the bulbs were on their last legs. Dean took a moment to appreciate the city’s lack of care to fix things. It definitely worked in their favor.

Riley put her hands to the glass in an attempt to see inside, her black hoodie under her jacket caved over her face. It was too dark to see much of anything. Sam knelt down at the door and picked the lock while Dean kept a lookout. The door opened and they went inside, quiet to shut the door behind them.

They turned on their flashlights and looked around the shop. The entire place covered in mirrors. This was  _ not _ going to be an easy find. “Awesome,” said Dean in sarcasm.

They studied the printed picture of the mirror from Mary’s crime scene photos. It was large, surrounded by a flourished frame in a darkened and faded brassy color. They split up to cover more ground. Dean stayed to the front of the shop, Riley to the back and Sam ventured into the storage area.

As Sam walked in the darkness, he pushed a hanging plastic barrier out of his way. He shined his flashlight to check each mirror. The light bounced back and forth as it danced in the reflections of the many mirrors. He had almost given up on finding it. Finally, he turned and saw Mary’s mirror. An unsettling feeling radiated from it. “I found it!”

Lights from a patrol car shined into the shop. “Shit. We must have tripped the alarm coming in. I’ll go handle it.” Dean turned off his light and walked towards the front. Opening the door, he stepped out. “Hello, officer. Sorry, I’m the owner’s son. I came in to do some late work and I must have tripped the alarm.”

**“You’re Mr. Yamashiro’s kid?”** the officer asked accusingly.

“...I’m adopted?”

“Alright, you’re gonna have to come with me.” The cop went to take Dean’s wrists.

“Man, I didn’t wanna have to do this.” He turned and punched the man square in the face, sending him to the concrete, unconscious. Dean shook his fist lightly. “Sorry, buddy.”

* * *

Back in the store, Riley saw Sam staring into the mirror and slowly walked closer. He took a deep breath, looked into his reflection and spoke. “Bloody Mary...Bloody Mary…” He hesitated. “Bloody Mary.” Ready with crowbars in their hands, they waited for Mary to appear.

“Sam, swing at anything that moves.” They were on edge. Sam stared down the mirror and Riley scanned over them all. She could feel the rage that reached out from the original mirror. It scared her in a way she’d never experienced before. The energy was strong and ran through her like a current. This spirit twisted and evil now after her incredible suffering. It made her sick to her stomach.

Suddenly, his reflection changed. It was Sam, but it wasn’t. A grin grew on the reflection’s face and a voice that only Sam could hear slithered out at him. “It’s all your fault. You killed Jessica. You’re why she’s dead.” Sam watched as it spoke to him, breaking his heart with every word. Riley could feel his pain and she clutched at her chest trying to catch her breath. “You had dreams of it happening for  _ days  _ leading up to her death. You said  _ nothing _ . You killed her.”

_ I know. It’s my fault.  _ Sam’s eyes began to bleed and dark veins were protruding from his face. It felt as though his insides were being ripped apart. He fell to his knees groaning in agony.  _ I deserve this. _

“Sam, NO!” Riley rushed to the different mirrors showing the creature’s reflection. She smashed every one with all her might, and shut her eyes with every hit. The spirit finally appeared in the original mirror. Riley rushed to break it sending shards of glass everywhere. She covered her face and when the glass fell, she ran to Sam’s side as Dean rushed back in.

“Sammy! Are you ok?” Dean slid into his little brother, his eyes scanning him for more injuries.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

As they helped pull him up off the ground, a snarling sound came from in front of them. Riley picked up her flashlight and aimed it at the broken mirror. A hand darted out from the frame. Slowly, something began to crawl out of the broken mirror. Its skin looked dead and decayed and its hair was long and black, draped over her face. She was twitching violently with every move, and began to crawl towards them. Her tattered and dirty white nightgown dragging with her. She moved faster and faster in their direction as her anger grew. Blood dripped from the hunters’ eyes and a pain beyond words strangled them from the inside. All three fell to the floor groaning and straining to muffle their cries. She stopped in front of them as she planned to watch them die.

Dean grabbed the mirror beside him and raised it to face Mary. She stood up and her body calmed. Her hair split from her face and a sad young woman could be seen. She looked at herself and a voice echoed. “It’s your fault. You killed them all.” Mary’s eyes began to bleed and it seemed as though she was slowly melting away. As fast as the shift started, she finally broke into tiny pieces of glass that scattered on the floor.

Dean looked at the room of shattered mirrors and the glass that had sprinkled everywhere. “ **That’s gotta be, what? 600 years bad luck?** ”

* * *

Back in the car as they drove out of town, Dean couldn’t help but remember Sam’s comment. He had secrets about what had happened with Jess. It was driving him crazy. “So, now that it’s all over, what don’t I know about what happened, Sammy?” Riley listened with intent waiting for his reply.

“Look, I love you both. Some things...I just have to keep to myself.” They both tried to accept his answer and let it go for now.

Riley had a moment where she felt Sam’s emotions again. An emptiness. She could hear him think about how he thought he saw Jess on the corner, looking at him as they drove by. She was wearing the same nightgown she was wearing the last time he saw her. Her long blonde hair blowing in the breeze. He was wishing and aching for her to really be there.

Guilt for not telling the boys about her  _ own  _ secret was killing her. How could she explain what was going on when she didn’t even know? She needed more time. Until she knew why this was happening to her, she didn’t want to worry them.

Riley already loved Sam and Dean. They were her partners and she was so proud to be a part of their family. Sam was beginning to feel like the brother she never had. She wanted to protect him and to find a way to ease his broken heart. Knowing the pain he was in kept her up at night. She remembered their conversation about how “she understood him”. Did he know her secret?

And Dean? She looked over at him and he quickly looked over to her while trying to pay attention to the road. He reached for her and she scooted to his side. She felt his warmth like a blanket on a cold night and it soothed her soul. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close.

_ How does she do this to me? I’m never happier than when I’m with her. I think I’m falling for this girl. _

He smiled down at her again before locking eyes on the highway ahead. Her stomach did a somersault and she could feel his affection seeping into her skin. Everything he was thinking was completely genuine. She could feel it in her bones.

It was happening. Riley was falling for Dean too, and the thought made her nervous with every fiber of her being. Slowly, that feeling passed and all she could feel was peace. That’s what he did to her. He was her compass, guiding her towards something she never thought she could have. And Riley would follow him anywhere.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3 - "Hook Man"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunters come face to face with the legendary "Hook Man" as they try to stop the slaughtering of college teens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: language and violence
> 
> DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.

_Jackson’s hands were warm and wet with his daughter’s blood as she laid lifeless in his arms. Drops had even found their way to her eyelashes and sat like waiting tears. Riley’s blue eyes were still slightly open. The last thing she had seen before fading away was her killer.  
_

_Her father’s cries were deep and painful. Jackson begged his beautiful girl to come back to him; cursing the heavens._

With a sharp inhale, Riley woke. Dean had been asleep beside her after they had fallen asleep talking. He quickly reacted to her.

“Hey, it’s ok.” He wrapped his arms around her in comfort. “Same nightmare?”

She nodded.

“You haven’t had one of those in a while.” He rubbed his hand over her arm, trying to calm her nerves.

“I’ll be alright. You don’t have to stay if you wanna go get some sleep.”

“I sleep better next to you, anyways.” He smiled. “I’m happy to stay if you want me to.”

Riley was only trying to be nice, she didn’t want him to leave her side. She grabbed the arm that held her and squeezed him in tight. They nuzzled back into each other as she laid with her eyes open, afraid to go back to sleep.

* * *

Next to a small coffee kiosk, Dean sat nursing his hot drink. Riley sipped at the straw on her iced coffee and Dean chuckled watching her.

“What?”

“Iced coffee? Really?”

“Hey, it’s been cold for months, and I’m sick of hot coffee. You don’t get to judge me.” She took another sip with her eyebrows raised, full of confidence. Dean smiled and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. As they put their coffees on the table, he put his arm around her, rubbing her opposite shoulder.

Sam walked up to the table, frustrated. **“I’ve tried everything. I’ve done license plate checks, looked for any traffic violations; nothing. There’s no sign of him anywhere.”**  
  
 **“Sam, I don’t think dad wants to be found.”**

“Give him time, guys. Maybe he thinks he’s doing the right thing.” Riley looked at the brothers. She could feel their hopelessness in finding their father. Dean was thinking how he wasn’t sure how long it would be till they saw him again. Sam had so much anger towards John, but still worried and missed him. Reading their minds came in handy from time to time. They were never good at sharing exactly what they were thinking. It helped that she was learning to hone her ability.

Sam pulled out his laptop and placed it on the table in front of him. “Ok, so I think I found us a case. Ankeny, Iowa. A mutilated body was found just off 9 Mile Road. They say they have no credible witnesses. The woman who was there claimed ‘the attacker was invisible’.”

“Well, we’ve gone off less and I’m bored outta my mind. I say we go.” Riley hated sitting still for too long. Being on the road and solving cases is what kept her mind at bay.

Dean looked to Sam. “You heard the woman. Let’s go.”

* * *

After a long drive, Baby pulled up in front of the fraternity house of the dead college student. There was loud annoying music playing. Fraternity brothers came in and out of the house with beers in hand. Others worked on their terrible cars or tossed around a football.

As they walked across the street, whistles and catcalls came from the direction of the house. Dean’s fists clenched knowing Riley was the focus of their attention. She ignored it. Stupid men never really bothered her.

“Hey. We’re your fraternity brothers from Ohio State,” Dean said as he pointed between him and Sam. “We just transferred here.”

“And uh, who’s your friend?” The frat brothers stared at Riley like she was a fresh piece of meat, while looking at her up and down. One licked his lip and gave her a look that an animal gives its prey.

Dean’s jaw clenched and he had to fight the urge to hit them both in the face. He took a step towards them looking in their eyes with an almost challenging look. “Look at my girlfriend like that again, and you’re gonna need to be fixing more than your piece of crap car. Got it, _brother?_ ”

Riley had to contain herself from having a reaction to him calling her his “girlfriend”. That was the first time he had ever said that. They had never agreed to put labels on their relationship, but she definitely didn’t mind being his.

Dean took Riley’s hand and walked her across the street back towards the car. Sam scoffed in surprise to his brother’s words and waited across the street.

“Listen, sweetheart. I didn’t even think before bringing you here. Frat guys are a bunch of douchebags and you’re way too gorgeous to be around them. I know you could handle yourself in there fine. I just know I’m gonna end up knocking some asshole to the ground when they look at you wrong.”

A small laugh escaped Riley as she looked up at Dean. “Well, it’s a good thing my amazing _boyfriend_ was there to defend my honor.” She had her hands in her back pockets and she had a pleased look in her eyes.

“That’s true. I _am amazing_.” He leaned down, took her face in his hands and kissed her. He knew full well that their relationship was real now and nothing could make him happier.

“Go get some intel in the dirty man palace. I’ll wait in the car. Don’t worry about me, I was dreading going in there anyways. The place smells like bad life choices and dirty gym socks.”

Dean laughed and gave her one small last kiss before opening the door for her and shutting it behind her. He jogged back across the street meeting Sam. Dean shot the guys at the car one last look of warning.

Riley watched “her boys” as they headed inside, bringing the biggest grin to her face. “Damn, did I get lucky.”

* * *

The three hunters walked up a long driveway that led to the local church. It was made of stone and had stained glass in most of its windows. It was obvious it had been around for quite some time.

Sam filled Riley in on what they learned at the fraternity house. “So, apparently, the guy that was killed was with a girl named Lori at the time. She’s the reverend’s daughter. Pretty sure this is where we’re gonna find her on a Sunday morning.”

Dean pushed one of the large wooden doors open, and held it for his partners. Sam was the last one in and didn’t guide the door shut, so it slammed behind them. The entire congregation looked back at them and the reverend paused his sermon. Dean spun his head to give Sam a dirty look.

As the sermon continued, they found an open bench at the back of the church, trying to blend in.

“It is with a heavy heart we send our love to the family of the young man who has passed. I am grateful for his sacrifice, knowing he was protecting my only daughter. Let us pray for the safety of our children.”

* * *

The sermon had finished and the parishioners filed out of the church. Reverend Sorenson stood draped in his green dress robes and shook the hands of those who came to him. A young blonde girl walked by him and kissed him on the cheek as she walked away.

“Excuse me, are you Lori?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. Can I help you?” Her voice was soft and sweet. She was definitely attractive. Dean could see his little brother was interested in her, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

“I’m Dean. This is my brother Sam and my girlfriend, Riley. We’re from Ohio State, looking to transfer here. We heard about what happened with Rich. I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.” Her head fell and she pushed her hair behind her ear. It was obvious she was still reeling from the murder.

Riley could see the sadness in her eyes and felt how deep her fear and confusion ran. She reached her hand out and put it on Lori’s arm to comfort her. “I know this is a difficult time. No one should ever have to experience what you did.” Lori looked up at her and could see a kind face looking back at her. She felt as though this girl understood her for some strange reason.

“Lori,” Sam started, “I’ve seen someone get hurt. I know it’s not something you just get over or easily forget. I lost someone too.” His voice was soothing to her and she could feel how genuine he was.

“The cops, they don’t believe me. They blame me for not giving a ‘credible statement’. Maybe I was just seeing things.”

“Just because they don’t understand, doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.” Sam tried to comfort the sweet girl.

“ _This has to be my fault. What if I’m next?_ ” Lori thought.

Riley wanted to reassure her that wouldn’t happen, but couldn’t without giving away her secret.

* * *

Later that night, an empty pizza box sat on the motel counter. The second opened on one of the beds, with the last three slices remaining. A couple of empty beer bottles sat on the dresser. Sam was barely awake with headphones playing something that seemed to soothe him. Dean and Riley were trying to laugh quietly as they talked on the opposite bed with the leftover pizza. They each had a beer in hand; taking sips during the conversation.

“You are so full of crap,” Dean laughed.

“No, I swear to god! Dad and I were on a hunt for a chupacabra in New Mexico. We knew it hunted in the same area, always by the same dive bar. When we showed up, this guy was _completely_ wasted and fucking petting it thinking it was a dog!”

Dean threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, man. I would have let the thing eat him on principle alone.” They both calmed their laughing and sat for a moment in silence.

Riley smiled up at him. “So…you called me your girlfriend today.”

“I did. Had to let those assholes know you were off the market.”

Her eyebrow arched. “Oh I am, am I?” she teased as she put her empty bottle on the table by the bed.

Dean scooped her up playfully and pinned her down on the bed. “Absolutely. Had to let them know you were mine.” Riley grabbed fistfulls of his shirt and pulled him into her as he kissed her neck. She giggled as his teasing kisses tickled her.

Sam took off his headphones and turned to the couple. “Would you two go into Riley’s room already? Some of us are trying to sleep.” He put them back on and turned over.

They both looked at each other and tried not to laugh as they got up and headed into the room next door. Once inside, Dean tripped in the dark making them both started to laugh all over again.

Riley went to turn on the light and nothing happened. She groaned. “Are you kidding me?”

“Bulb must be dead. Gotta love shitty motels.”

The light from outside that seeped through the blinds was just enough to see. Dean took her hand, walked her further into the room and turned around. He gently pulled her into him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked up at him and put her hands behind his neck. The light illuminated his hazel-green eyes and his perfect smile. Riley played with his hair as they gazed into each other. It was moments like these where time stood still.

Dean put his forehead against hers. “You scare the shit out of me, woman,“ he whispered as he let out a breathy laugh.

There was a warmth coming from him. It wasn’t from his body heat. It was coming from something else. It was love. It engulfed her and she submitted to the power it held over her. Neither of them had been great with “I love you’s” in previous relationships. So far, those words had remained unsaid.

He pulled her tightly into him with one hand at the small of her waist, and the other cupped on the side of her face. Their lips came together and moved in perfect unison. Within only a few seconds, the intensity between them grew.

 _“I have never wanted anyone the way I want her_.” Dean’s thoughts rang through Riley’s mind. That was all she needed to hear.

She pulled at the base of his shirt and lifted it over his head. His breathing shook as he realized what was about to finally happen between them. He returned the gesture taking hers off as well.

Their lips came crashing back together. Dean picked her up and she threw her legs around him as he carried her to the bed. He laid her down and crawled on top of her before looking down into the face of the woman he loved. This was all he had wanted for months. Now that it was actually happening, he felt like a teenager about to be with a girl for the first time. He was both excited beyond words and terrified. There was a moment of silence as they caught their breath and he hovered over her. He could see the light twinkle in her crystal blue eyes as he brushed the hair away from her face.

“I love you, Riley,” he said softly.

Her heart fluttered and her eyes nearly welled up hearing the words that meant everything to her.

“I love you too, Dean.”

They came back together in a hunger for each other. She pulled at his belt and unbuttoned his pants while he went to unbutton hers. He pulled both of theirs off and returned to his spot on top of her. Dean reached around, undoing the clasp of her bra as he kissed her neck. She breathed into his ear as her hands grasped at his back.

Removing her bra, he pressed himself against her. Finally, after months of longing, they were skin to skin. They soaked up every second together and he finally connected them; never breaking their kiss. Riley released a gasp as Dean let out a small moan from deep in his throat.

Suddenly, Riley wasn’t alone in her mind. There weren’t words to explain what was happening. It was like they had come together to be one person. His emotions, pleasure, and love flew through her body like a current. His thoughts poured into her mind as if they were her own. It was more intense and intimate than anything she had ever experienced.

Being together was better than either had imagined. Neither had ever been so connected to someone as they lost themselves in each other. Love made this different from any other time, and nothing had ever felt more right.

* * *

The Ankeny library smelled of the wooden bookcases and the pages that filled them. It was quiet as the team found their way to the back. Riley, Sam, and Dean sat at a large table waiting for the box of records the librarian said she would find for them.

 **“Lori said she heard scratches on the roof and found the bloody body suspended, upside down over the car. Sounds like classic Hook Man legend to me.”** Dean rubbed Riley’s back in the chair beside him, trying to piece things together.

Sam agreed with his brother. “Hook Man? That’s one of the most famous urban legends ever. I mean, they have to start somewhere. What if that place is here? But Lori said the man was invisible.”

“Yeah, but what if Hookman is a spirit, not a man.” Riley’s face looked pleased with herself for her response.

The librarian walked over carrying two large, dusty boxes. The dust flew as she sat them on the table. Dean coughed and fanned it with his hand. “Here’s everything. Arrest records dating all the way back to 1851. Let me know if you need anything else.” She smiled and turned to walk back to her desk.

“Of course this is how I start my week,” Dean said sarcastically.

After nearly three hours of silent research, Riley spoke up. “Hey, guys. I think I found something. 1862, a preacher named Jacob Karns was arrested for the murder of 13 prostitutes. Some were found in their beds drenched in blood, others suspended upside down in trees. It was a ‘warning against sins of the flesh.’ And get this, the murder weapon? The preacher had lost his hand and it was replaced with a metal hook.”

Sam leaned in to read the documents she had found. “And it all happened off 9 Mile Road. That’s where Rich was killed.”

* * *

Riley stayed back at the motel to keep digging into the lore of Hook Man. The boys had driven out to the scene of the crime. It was dark in the woods by 9 Mile Road. A light fog floated through the trees and only the chirping of insects could be heard. Dean grabbed a sawed-off shotgun from the trunk and some rounds.

“Uh, don’t think that gun is gonna have much of an effect on a spirit, Dean.”

**“Rock salt rounds.”**

Sam let out a surprised, breathy laugh. **“Salt is a deterrent to spirits.”**

“That’s right.” Dean put the rounds in the gun and cocked it. **“It won’t kill ‘em but it’ll sure as hell slow ‘em down.”** He handed it to Sam. The trunk shut and the two set off to investigate.

“So…not that it’s any of my business, but I woke up because _something_ was happening next door last night.” Sam’s look of “gotcha” read loud and clear.

“You’re right. It’s none of your business.”

Sam chuckled. “All I’m saying is, it’s about damn time.”

With a flashlight in hand, Dean guided the way. The youngest Winchester was ready and alert with the gun to his shoulder, ready to fire. A twig snapped nearby and both jerked around in its direction. As they walked towards the sound, an on-duty officer came through the bushes with a gun in hand. “FREEZE! Hands in the air! Drop the gun!” Sam and Dean complied. “Get on your bellies, hands behind your back.”

 **“He was the one with the gun,”** Dean said blaming his little brother.

* * *

“You guys are so lucky. I was able to get the charges dropped.” Riley found the entire situation hilarious and smiled. She and the Winchesters came out of the police station and walked down the steps.

“How did you manage that?” Sam followed quickly to her side.

A mischievous look grew on her face. “I told them you were my brothers. That you were new to the fraternity and had been hazed. They sent you out to the scene to ‘hunt a ghost’ and you went armed with a shotgun.” She laughed.

Dean was surprised. “And they bought that?”

“No offense, boys. But you both kinda look like dumb pledges.”

Both looked at each other slightly offended but knew she was right.

As they got to the car, officers ran out of the station to their cars. They had a call that had them out of there in a hurry.

* * *

Having followed the sirens, the three found themselves on the block of a sorority house. Lori’s sorority house. Cops were everywhere and crime scene tape draped around the property. Girls from the house were on the lawn crying and consoling each other. Another college student had been murdered.

“Alright, so how do we get in? The place is swamped,” Sam said looking for a possible entrance.

“Leave it to me.” Riley grabbed a camera and put it in her jacket pocket as she got out of the car. “Be right back.” Sam and Dean looked at each other in confusion.

Putting on her best act, she began to cry as she approached an officer on the scene. “Sir, I am just so heartbroken over losing our sister last night. The thought of her dying in our home. It’s–it’s too terrible.”

The officer was uncomfortable; unsure of how to respond. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

She sniffled. “With all this going on, I completely forgot that I have a paper due tomorrow and if I don’t get it in on time, I’ll fail the class. Could I please go inside my room? I need to get my bookbag or I’ll never get it done in time.” She continued to cry.

He sighed. “Look, you got 5 minutes. You go inside, get your stuff and get out. Don’t touch anything else.”

“Oh my god, thank you so much, sir.” She wiped her face and headed inside.

After a moment, Sam and Dean looked up to the front window on the second floor. Riley stood there with two thumbs up.

“The girl is good.” Dean smiled.

A few minutes passed and Riley came back out of the house, sneaking by the officers. She got to the car and got in. “Ok, I got some pictures of the room. It’s not pretty in there.” She handed the camera to Sam and they scrolled through the pictures she had taken.

He read the words that had been scratched into the student’s wall, **“aren’t you glad you didn’t turn on the lights? That’s straight out of Hook Man legend.”** They continued looking until a picture of a strange symbol shown on the digital camera. It resembled a cross with smaller ones near the four corners.

Pulling out copies of documents they found in the library, Sam compared a picture of Jacob Karn’s hook hand. There was a symbol etched in the side and it matched the one in the photos. **“Ok, so we know it’s Jacob Karns.”**

“Looks like it’s time to find this guy’s grave. Gotta salt and burn the bones and end this crap.” Riley took the copied paper and studied it some more.

Sam continued, **“after his execution, Jacob Karns was buried in a local cemetery; in an unmarked grave.”**

 **“Super.”** Dean turned the ignition roaring the car into life and put it into drive.

* * *

The local diner was small, but inviting. The “small town feel” had Riley feeling in her element. She had already finished her fries and reached over, taking some of Dean’s. His face looked playfully shocked.

“Did you just take my fries?”

Riley took a large bite from the multiple fries in her hand and chewed it all while looking at Dean in a smug manner.

“Oh, you’re so damn lucky you’re hot.” Dean shook his head and she chuckled.

Spreading out more documents Sam had found, he began to go into more information. **“Check this out. 1932, clergymen arrested for murder. 1967, seminarian wanted for ‘hippie rampage’. There’s a pattern here; a man of religion preaching openly about immorality. They then find themselves wanted for killings. All of them saying it was done by an ‘unseen force’. And in every one? The murders were all with a sharp instrument.”**

“So, wait,” Riley had an idea. “What if Reverend Sorenson is the one that’s involved? What if he’s summoning Jacob Karns? Spirits can get attached to people and their emotions. Maybe he doesn’t even know he’s the one causing this.”

“Someone needs to watch Lori tonight. Sam, I’ll give you this one and you can go watch the cute girl.” Dean gave him a naughty look. Looking back at Riley, he was getting a look from her and knew he had “stepped in it”. He gave her a cheesy innocent smile.

Riley stole more of his fries in protest to his choice of words. “And Dean and I will head to the cemetery and look for that unmarked grave.”

* * *

It was evening and the two hunters walked through the cemetery. The only light coming from the glowing moon. Their flashlights bounced from headstone to headstone. Dean had a shovel he held leaned against his free shoulder, and Riley carried a duffle.

“Hey! I found it.” Riley pointed to a headstone that had no name but had the symbol from the hook carved into it.

**“Hello, preacher.”**

“Well, get to digging. Maybe next time you’ll get to be the one that gets to watch the cute girl.” Riley crossed her arms and gave him a sassy look.

Dean sighed and stuck the shovel into the grave. “You know, I’ve never been whipped before. I’m not a fan.”

Riley laughed as she leaned on a large nearby headstone.

After some time, a panting Dean finished digging. Finding the old wooden coffin, he broke it with the shovel. An old skeleton was tucked away inside. All the while, Riley had opened the duffle bag and taken out a large container of salt and a bottle of lighter fluid. She spread the salt all over the bones and liberally squirted the fluid.

Dean struck a match and dropped it into the grave, igniting what remained of the body of Jacob Karns. **“Goodbye, preacher.”**

They stood there to watch; ensuring that the fire would do its job.

* * *

Sam sat outside Lori’s house as she and her father could be heard arguing. After a few moments, she came outside and walked towards him.

**“I saw you from inside.”**

**“I was worried. Just thought I’d come keep an eye on things.”**

Lori went on to tell Sam how she couldn’t help but blame herself for what was happening. **“You should probably run away from me as fast as you can.”**

**“Why would you say that?”**

**“I must be cursed or something. People keep dying around me.”**

**“I think I know how you feel.”**

“I’m sure you could hear, things aren’t exactly great at home. He’s seeing a married woman who goes to our church with her husband. **And he talks to me about religion and morality?** ” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Dad raised me to believe that if you do something wrong, you will be punished. I’m just so lost, Sam.” There’s a moment between the two and Lori reaches over to hug Sam. As they break away, they share a kiss.

He pulled away and there was shame on his face. “Lori, I can’t. I’m sorry.”

She remembered their first conversation and it all made sense. **“That someone you lost? …I’m sorry.”**

Reverend Sorenson opened the door and told his daughter to come inside. There’s a moment of anger between the two and she yelled back, “I’ll come in when I’m ready!”

As he stood in the doorway looking at Lori and Sam, a figure appeared behind him and shoved a hook into the Reverend’s chest. Using it as an anchor, the spirit drug him inside as the door slammed shut. The cries of Sorenson came from the house.

Sam grabbed the shotgun from his bag and sprinted towards the front door. Following the echoing screams, he continued up the stairs. The door on the room down the hall closed and Sam hurried to kick it in. Mr. Sorenson was on the floor begging for his life. The Hook Man pulled back his hook, ready to plunge it into the terrified man. Sam cocked the gun and shot the spirit. Glass from surrounding windows shatter and the apparition dissipated in front of them.

* * *

In the hospital, Lori stood next to her father’s bed. The reverend was unconscious and machines beeped around him. Sam stood in the hall and explained to the investigating officers that a large man with a hook attached Mr. Sorenson. He spoke with respect and tried to make the story sound as normal as possible.

Satisfied with Sam’s answers, the officer hesitantly let him go. Riley and Dean were waiting down the hall.

“Hey, are you ok?” Big brother mode had kicked in for the oldest Winchester. Riley ran to hug Sam and she sighed a breath of relief as he returned the embrace.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was Hook Man. **Why didn’t you torch the bones?** ”

Taking a step back, Riley looked up at a frustrated Sam. “We did! Are we sure it’s the spirit of Jacob Karns?”

“ **Well it sure looked like him,** ” Sam replied. “And another thing, I don’t think Karns is latched on to the reverend. It wouldn’t have attacked him otherwise. **I think he’s attached to Lori. Last night, she found out her father was having an affair with a married woman. She was upset about the immorality of it. She told me she was raised to believe that if you did something wrong, you get punished.”**

Dean took a minute to think. **“Ok, so she’s conflicted. The spirit is latching onto Lori’s emotions and doing the punishing for her.”**

Riley jumped in. “That makes sense. The frat guy came on too strong, her friend was apparently trying to make Lori into a party girl, and dad has an affair.”

“ **Remind me not to piss this girl off.** But Sam, we doused the bones in salt and burned them. That should have stopped him. We torched everything that was in that grave.” None of this was adding up for Dean.

As her eyes grew, Riley had a realization. “We didn’t get the hook! That was the murder weapon and in a way, it was a part of him. So like the bones, maybe that’s a source of his power?”

“So if we find the hook,” Sam started and then both brothers spoke in unison **“we stop the Hook Man.”**

The redheaded hunter stared at the others. “You guys spend way too much time together.”

* * *

After returning to the library, all three had their noses in book after book looking for clues. The only way to stop the Hook Man was if they found where the hook was.

“Oh, look!” Riley grabbed her book and put it in front of the boys. “Iowa State Penitentiary Log.”

Looking further into the open pages Dean read out loud, **“Karns, Jacob. Upon execution, all earthly items shall be remanded to the prisoner’s house of worship, St. Barnabas’ Church.” He paused. “That’s where Lori’s father preaches and where they live.** That explains why the Hook Man has been haunting reverends all these years.”

Sam interjected. **“Yeah, but if the hook were around, don’t you think they would have noticed it? I mean, a blood-stained silver-handled hook?”**

“Way ahead of you, guys.” Riley retrieved another book and put it down. “These are the logs for the donations to the church made in 1862. They received a silver-handled hook from the penitentiary, but it was reforged. They melted it down. It could be anything at this point.”

“You’re right,” Sam said looking at Dean. “She’s good.”

* * *

Getting out of the car late that night, Sam and Dean look around to see the quiet church grounds. As he closed his door, the youngest spoke. “So, Riley’s gonna meet us here after checking on the Sorenson’s? How’s she even gonna get here?”

“She’s resourceful. I’m not worried.” As they walked towards the church, Dean went on. “So, I say we don’t take any chances. We split up and go into the house and the church. Grab anything silver and it all goes in the fire.”

“Lori’s still at the hospital with her dad. There’s no way in but to break into the house.” Sam almost felt guilty for breaking in. He actually liked this girl no matter how much he tried to deny it to himself.

Coming down the road was the purr of a motorcycle. The Winchesters turned in surprise to see anyone there at that time of night. The cyclist pulled up to them and stood up; removing the helmet. It was Riley.

“What the hell? I didn’t know you could ride a bike!” Dean was both surprised and turned on seeing her hair fall out of the helmet. “Where did you even get that?”

She smiled. “I told you, I’m always full of surprises. I had to find a ride. The bike was near the motel. I just have to get it back before the owner realizes it was jacked. By the way, Lori’s not at the hospital anymore.”

“My little delinquent.” Dean had an excited look on his face. “Alright, Riley and I will take the church. Sammy, you take the house.”

As they went to split up Sam turned around. “Remember to actually work, guys! No fooling around in the house of God.”

“I make no promises.” Dean took Riley’s hand. “Oh and, Sam. **Stay out of her underwear drawer.”** He began to jog away with his favorite motorcyclist in tow.

* * *

Down in the dark church basement, Dean had lit the furnace. He and Riley worked quickly; throwing anything silver they had and covering them in salt. Sam came down the stairs and joined them with a sack in hand full of his own finds.

“Don’t even know if all of it’s actually silver, but I grabbed it all.”

 **“Better safe than sorry.”** Dean took the items out of the bag and chucked them into the fire.

There were footsteps upstairs that caused the old wooden floors to creak. Dust fell from the ceiling as the three looked up towards the noise.

“We gotta go,” Riley said looking at her partners. They headed up the stairs as quietly as possible, guns drawn.

Peeking through the door into the chapel, Lori could be seen sitting in the pew, crying. Dean nodded for Sam to go ahead, while he and Riley headed back downstairs and closed the door behind them.

Sam walked down the main aisle that had a soft red carpet leading to the front. The rows were lined with dark oak pews that had a soft design carved into the sides. Lori was in the front, her head down in prayer.

**“Lori, what’s wrong?”**

“I’ve been trying to figure out why all this was happening.” Her face covered in tears and she sniffled, trying to compose herself. “Now that I know, I’m trying to pray for forgiveness. I’m the one that’s to blame for all of this. I was furious with my father. I wanted him to be punished.”

 **“It’s not your fault.”** Sam could see the pain in her eyes and was desperate to give her some comfort.

“Yes, it is. I don’t know how, but it is. Rich and Taylor are dead because of me. I’m why my father almost died. None of them deserved to be punished.” She paused, “ _I’m_ the one that deserves it.”

A loud noise came through the chapel and the lit candles were blown out. “We gotta go.” Sam grabbed Lori’s hand and they headed for the door.

The door had barely opened when they saw the Hook Man standing in wait. Sam quickly closed the door before the hook impaled through the old wood. “Go! Go! Run!” Grabbing her hand again, they ran in the opposite direction. Sam’s only concern was to keep her safe.

They shut the door behind them in an attempt to hide. The Hook Man had caught up behind them, breaking the glass on the door. Lori screamed and Sam jumped in front to shield her. He dodged the hook that was being swung in his direction over and over.

As the Hook Man appeared behind Lori, his hook was raised, ready to maim the scared girl. Sam pushed her away to safety and the hook plunged into his arm. He groaned out in pain as an unseen force grabbed Lori and drug her away. The injured Winchester ran to her side and tried to get her off the ground. The spirit appeared at his side and hit him, sending him flying across the room and slamming into the wall. Using all the strength he had left, Sam sprung back to Lori’s aid.

Riley and Dean came barrelling down the hall; the shotgun ready in Dean’s hand. **“Sam! Drop!”** Following his brother’s instruction, he threw himself to cover the scared girl. The gun fired and hit the Hook Man. Salt sprayed across the room as the spirit disappeared once again.

“What the hell? I thought we got all the silver!” Riley was panting and went to check on Sam’s injury.

Dean looked concerned and angry all at once looking at his injured brother. “Maybe we missed something.”

Sam turned to Lori and saw a silver cross-like pendant hanging from a chain around her neck. **“Lori, where did that necklace?”**

Panic was running through Lori and Riley could feel it all. She never really got scared on hunts, but feeling the strength of Lori’s emotions hit her hard.

“It was a gift from my father. It’s a church heirloom,” Lori replied.

Feeling their impending situation, Sam yelled, “is it silver?!”

“YES!” she shouted back as he grabbed the chain and pulled it from her neck.

The invisible spirit began to drag his hook along the walls surrounding them. The brothers swapped the shotgun for the necklace and Dean turned to run back to the furnace. Shots rang through the room as Sam shot in the direction of the carves in the wall.

Riley dropped next to Lori and held her close. “It’s gonna be ok. I got you.”

Before firing another shot, the Hook Man knocked the gun out of Sam’s hand. He backed up in a final attempt to protect the girls.

The instant Dean tossed the necklace into the fire, the evil entity froze and his hook began to melt. Flames slowly began to swallow the spirit and burn away what was left of his broken soul.

* * *

It was early morning and cops surrounded the church grounds. Dean spoke to the officer in charge and did his best to normalize the situation. He explained that they had seen the man with the hook again and that they had fought him off. The officer looked at him with doubt and annoyance as Dean replied, **“yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, we’re leaving town.”**

Sam sat at the edge of an ambulance as the EMT’s tended to his stabbed arm. Lori came to check on him and thank him for saving her life. He feigned a smile and began to walk towards the waiting Impala.

Dean saw the sadness and confusion in his brother. **“You know, we could stick around.”**

“No, it’s time for us to go.” He looked behind him to see Lori as she caught one last look at the man who protected her. “ _I can’t. She just isn’t Jessica._ ” Riley’s heart broke hearing her best friend’s thoughts. There was no way Sam would ever make peace with what happened to Jess until they had answers. She leaned in and hugged Sam at the waist, leaning her head on his arm.

“Well, I think it’s time I return that bike.”

Dean pouted. “Do you have to? It’s just so damn hot.”

Riley chuckled, loving that she drove the handsome hunter crazy. “I’ll meet you guys back at the motel.” She kissed him before putting the helmet on. The fiery hunter sat on the bike and kicked the stand up. Before shutting the visor, she shot Dean a flirty wink. Revving the engine, she started back towards the motel.

“I am so in love that woman,” Dean admitted as he watched her disappear down the road ahead of them.


	4. Chapter 4 - "Home"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley, Sam and Dean return to Lawrence. This time, the Winchesters go back home and deal with the past with Riley by their side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: language and violence
> 
> DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.

In a cheap motel, somewhere in Oklahoma, it was the middle of the night. Riley and Dean had cuddled up on one of the beat-up beds while watching “Tombstone”. He had fallen asleep, but would never be sick of that movie. Sam had been asleep for hours and Riley was in and out of a twilight state with so much on her mind.

She sensed something coming from Sam and turned to him. It was fear. Not a minute after she felt him, his eyes flew open and a gasp escaped him. She reached out for the scared hunter.

“Sam, are you ok?” Dean woke from Riley’s reaction.

“I–I think it was just another nightmare.”

Riley knew that he wasn’t just “having nightmares” either. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did.

“I told ya, you gotta stop drinking caffeine at night. You can’t handle it, man.” Dean tried to cuddle back into Riley to go back to sleep.

Riley looked at Sam with concern. “You sure you’re ok, Sam? You wanna talk?”

“No. No, I’m okay. Go back to sleep.”

She picked up the remote from the side table and turned off the tv. Riley knew Sam was far from okay, but she couldn’t force him to open up.

_“Who was that woman?”_

Riley nuzzled into Dean, hearing Sam’s thoughts.

* * *

The next morning, Dean is at the motel table looking up possible cases. Sam was on his bed sketching and Riley is getting ready with the bathroom door open.

After rambling with different possible cases that elicited no response from Sam, Dean spoke up. **“Am I boring you with this hunting-evil stuff?”**

Sam was completely lost in his sketches as he drew the same tree from his dream over and over again. **“No, I’m listening. Keep going.”**

Riley walked out as she continued to comb her hair. She put down the comb on the dresser and walked over to Dean. As she leaned over him to see what he was looking it, he leaned his face into hers.

She smiled. “Well, are you guys hungry? I say we grab some breakfast.”

“You just _get_ me dont you?” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Wait.” Sam got up and ran to their bags. After sifting through one for a moment, he pulled out a family picture. John, Mary, and the boys are standing in front of the old house. A large tree was behind them that looked like it was begging to be climbed. Riley and Dean walked over waiting to see what was going on. **“I knew I’d seen this tree before.”**

“What’s going on, Sam?” Riley sat next to him on the bed.

“I know where we gotta go next. Kansas. We gotta go home.”

Confusion was all over Dean’s face, “What are you talking about?”

“Look, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I dreamt about this tree. I dreamt about our old house. There was a woman inside the window and she was screaming for help. I think whoever’s living there now, is in danger.”

“I’m sorry, what? Are you saying you want us to drive all the way to Kansas because you had a _dream_?” The oldest Winchester stood and walked towards his brother.

“I didn’t know how to tell you guys, but…I have nightmares and sometimes they come true.”

Riley’s eyes grew. Did Sam have a vision? Nothing was impossible now that she was developing telepathy as time went on. She decided not to say anything.

“What if this is the same thing that killed our moms and Jessica?” Sam’s eyes pled with his brother to understand.

“Sam, I swore I would never go back to that house.” Dean could feel a lump in his throat as the idea of being “home” again was too much to bear. Riley could feel it and went to wrap her arms around him from behind. Her head peered around his torso and he held her there tight.

“Dean, I think we have to trust Sam’s gut on this. I mean what if he’s right? What if this is our chance to get this son of a bitch? We have to at least try.” She kissed his back and held onto him to let him know she wouldn’t leave his side. She took a step to the side, her one arm still wrapped around Dean and looked at them both. “It’s time to go home, guys.”

* * *

Baby pulled to a slow stop next to the curb on a sleepy street. They all looked across the way and saw the old Winchester house. The large tree from the picture stretched out and shaded the entire front lawn. Sam knew that was where they were supposed to be.

Dean felt sick to his stomach and memories from that terrible night still ran through his head. Riley’s mind connected to Dean’s and she could feel the pain in those memories. She was too young to remember the night mom had died. But Dean remembered everything about the night he lost his own mother. Coming up behind him from the back seat, she threw her arms around him and kissed his neck. “You good?”

He took her hands that laid on his chest and kissed them. “Ask me later.”

They all walked up to the door and knocked. A blonde woman with a small frame answered the door. Sam’s heart sank when he realized she was the woman from the dream.

“Can I help you?”

* * *

Back in the car, the hunters tried to piece the puzzle together.

“Ok, so Jenny said she hears scratches. Lights are flickering and there’s something wrong with the plumbing. That sounds like a malevolent spirit to me, Sammy. And then the daughter mentions seeing a figure on fire in her closet? What the hell, man? Not only is something going on in the house, but you’re having dreams that predict the future?” Dean’s drug his hands down his face trying to come to terms with everything.

Sam couldn’t wrap his mind around it all. “All I know Dean, is that family is in danger, and we have to help.”

“I know this is hard on both of you,” Riley started. “But we have to work this like any other case. We look into the history of the house (which we already know), we talk to the locals, and we dig up everything we can find.”

“You’re right. Let’s start with the old garage dad used to work at. Maybe they’ll know something.” Dean hit his turn signal and flipped around in the right direction.

* * *

It was only a short drive away to the garage. They pulled in and walked towards the entrance. The sound of drills and machinery whirred in the background and the smell of grease in the air. When inside, a husky man in a blue uniform jumpsuit saw them. "You guys been helped?”

“Actually, we’re wondering if you happened to know John Winchester? He worked here years ago.” A part of Dean was excited to hear about his family and the other wanted to run away and never look back.

“John? Jesus, he’s been missing 20 years. Yeah, we worked together. He was a tough son of a bitch. A good worker. He adored Mary and doted on those kids. It was heartbreaking to watch him after it all happened.”

“You mean after the fire?” Sam quickly asked.

“Yeah. John just wasn’t the same. He started reading these weird books and whatnot saying _something_ killed Mary. He even went to some psychic in town. I told him to go get help but he never listened.”

“Alright, well thank you for your time.” Sam walked at a brisk pace to the phone booth on the corner. Dean and Riley followed behind him.

He pulled out the yellow pages in the booth and sifted through local psychics. He read out loud, “Oh, look! ‘Ted the Incredible’ will help us find our past lives and discover our animal spirits.”

A look of discomfort and judgment came over Dean’s face. “Pass.”

“Well, there’s a Madam Serena, a Missouri Mosely…”

**“Wait. Missouri? That’s a psychic?”** Dean ran back to the car, grabbed his dad’s hunting journal and jogged back. **“Look, the first line on the first page. ‘Went to Missouri today and I learned the truth.’ I always thought he was talking about the state.”**

“Ok, we know who we’re looking for now. I say we go grab some food because I’m starving.” Riley reached down to her growling stomach.

Besides the food, the boys knew the main reason she wanted to head to the diner. Home was so close and her patience to get there had worn thin.

Dean smiled at his hungry girlfriend. “Sounds like a plan. There is never a bad time for pie.”

Riley began walking towards Baby, Sam, and Dean trailing behind her. She heard a faint buzzing that flew by her face and she flipped around with a yelp. “BEE! Oh _shit_ , it’s a bee!” She pulled her leather jacket over her head as far as it would go in a desperate attempt to protect herself and ran to the car. The brothers threw back their heads in laughter as she flew the door open, got inside and slammed the door shut. Wiping tears from laughter off their face, they joined her in the car.

“So, my tough girl can go head to head with monsters and demons, but runs in terror at the sight of a bee?” Dean was still attempting to catch his breath as he grabbed his aching stomach from laughter.

"Haha, very funny,” Riley said in annoyance. “How am I the only one traumatized by bugs after our last case? I will never be the victim of a bee ever again.” She shuddered remembering the night they saved a family from an insect curse. “So many bee stings.”

* * *

As Riley looked over to Dean, his grip kept tightened and loosened around the wheel as he shifted in his seat. He was taking deep breaths and Riley could feel how nervous he was. It was enough to make her feel like she was going to be sick.

_“Oh, god. If Deb doesn’t like me as Riley’s boyfriend, I’m screwed. I can NOT fuck this up.”_

Riley’s face lit up and her smile grew wide on her face. “Sweetheart, calm down. Deb loved you and she’s still gonna love you.”

Dean looked at her with confusion. “How the hell did you know I was thinking about that?”

“Shit.” She immediately realized her mistake and had to find a way to fix it. “Oh, come on, Dean. You’re all shifty and nervous. You feel like I’m ‘bringing you home to mom’.”

_“Please please please let him buy that,”_ she thought.

He turned to her and inhaled deeply. “You’re right. I’m freaking out. I just–I don’t wanna ruin anything, you know?”

“Dean’s never really ‘met the parents before’.” Sam was getting a kick out of watching his big brother squirm.

“Shut up, Sammy.”

Riley’s dimples showed as she grinned. “You won’t. I promise. She’s gonna love you.” She took his hand and rubbed it lovingly between both of hers and kissed it. The energy in the car changed and he was finally calming down.

* * *

“ _Home_.” Riley got out of the car as soon as it had come to a stop. She stood holding onto the door and looked at the diner. Every time she came back, it was like a piece of her heart had been put back into place. This time though, there was an energy radiating from the little diner. It was familiar and strong. Something about it gave Riley comfort. It felt like love. "Deb.”

With a giant smile on her face, she looked at the boys and let out a small squeal of excitement. Leaving them behind, she ran inside.

Seeing her in her element, feeling safe and happy, nothing brought Dean more joy. When she wasn’t hunting, she was carefree; goofy even. He laughed to himself. Watching her reminded him of all the little reasons he fell in love with her.

The diner was fairly quiet as she scanned the room looking for her family. Debbie was towards the back putting new warm pies on the racks. Riley started to pick up her walking pace and headed towards her when Deb’s eyes caught her. Without a word, Deb ran to her niece and grabbed her in a tight embrace. They both tried to hide their emotions and held each other in silence.

Deb sniffled as she pulled away and looked at Riley. Her hands pushed her niece’s auburn hair out of her face. “Oh, my girl. I missed you so much. It’s never the same without you.”

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you. It felt like it took forever to get here. I was just too excited. By the way, where’s–”

As if on cue, Finn came barrelling down the back stairs. He had heard Riley’s voice from upstairs and couldn’t wait another second to see her. Running straight for her, Riley fell to the floor as her best friend lept into her arms. He whined and whimpered over and over while his tail wagged uncontrollably. "FINN! Oh, buddy, I missed you so much. I’m so sorry I was gone for so long.” She kissed his head and continued to pet and rub him all over. Finn couldn’t contain his excitement.

Sam and Dean walked in and watched the euphoric look on Riley’s face at the reunion of her and her partner.

Deb let out an exasperated sigh. “Finn!! You _know_ better than to be in the diner.”

“Aw, Deb. Give him a break. He missed me.” She got up with a giant grin on her face and pat her side for Finn to follow her as she led him to the back room.

“Sam. Dean.” Deb hugged the boys and welcomed them back home. “Thank you for taking such good care of my girl.”

“Hey, there were times when she was taking care of us. Don’t know what we would do without her,” Sam replied.

“I know the feeling.” Deb wiped her hands on her apron and knew that she would have to say goodbye again soon. “How about you boys let Riley know that I’ll bring you out some lunch? You can all go sit on the front patio. That way she can stay with Finn. Lord knows I’m not gonna be able to pull them away right now.”

Before Dean could get out a word Debbie spoke, “and yes, Dean. I’ll bring the pie.” He smiled. “Oh, and you and me? We gotta talk.” She smirked and got back to work.

Dean gulped in a panic and Sam found the entire situation far too amusing.

* * *

Sitting in front of the diner, there were five round stone sets of tables spread out on the patio. They all had large red umbrellas over them that connected to the center of the tables. The main road was as busy as usual for a small town. There were families walking together, a few cars going by and music played from inside the diner.

Riley had found a spot and Finn sat as close to her as possible; his head on her lap. She pet him and spoke to him about how much they missed each other. The boys sat across the table and watched as Riley had completely lit up with him around.

Deb had already come and gone with food. Her niece filled her in on as much of their trip as she could and about why they had come back to Lawrence.

Debbie knew Riley too well. She could see the love she had for Dean. She was thrilled she wasn’t hunting alone anymore. But the thought of Riley falling in love only to lose him, scared her to death. Back in the diner, she cleaned the countertop and watched as her surrogate daughter laughed with her newly found family.

A female voice with a southern tone spoke out as she came out of the diner. “Sam and Dean Winchester? Is that you?”

All three spun around to see a thick, dark-skinned woman with a kind face. None of them recognized her.

“And Riley Munroe. My goodness. I got three for the price of one.” She walked over and sat at one of the tables next to the group.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Sam questioned.

“Oh, how rude of me. I’m Missouri Mosely. I’ve been looking for you three.”

Looking at each other in disbelief, no one knew what to say. Missouri continued. “I knew both your fathers. You boys have grown up so handsome. And Riley, you look just like your beautiful mother. I know you all are wondering how I found you and probably have a thousand questions. Here’s my address.” She handed Riley her business card. “Come by anytime today, we have so much to catch up on. And feel free to bring your golden companion. He’s adorable.”

Missouri walked away and the brothers and Riley sat in shock. “Well, at least she’s expecting us now,” Dean joked.

* * *

Missouri’s house wasn’t more than a few blocks from the diner, so they walked. It felt good for them to stretch their legs after the long drive and Finn was loving every minute.

They stopped at the marked address and went inside. There was a sitting area that Missouri had made out of the foyer of her home. Tapestry draped all over the walls and the smell of incense filled the air. Towards the back, a doorway covered in hanging beads. A smiling Missouri came through. “Well, come on back you four.”

She took Sam’s hand. **“Oh, sweetheart. I’m sorry about your girlfriend. And your father? He’s missing too?”**

**“Yeah. How did you know that?”**

**“You were just thinking it.”** She moved to Riley and a smile grew over Missouri’s face as she touched her hand. “You are something special aren’t you, young lady?” Her face fell and sadness was written all over her face. “Oh, your father passed.”

Riley took a deep breath, trying not to let her emotions become too much to handle.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful man and he loved you very much.” Riley shook her head in gratitude and swallowed hard. Trying not to cry, she feigned a smile.

She ushered the team into her main sitting area and even guided Finn to a comfortable pillow on the floor. Dean sat down and Missouri jumped up. **“Dean Winchester if you put your feet on my coffee table, I’m gonna whack you with a spoon.”** His face was in shock.

**“I didn’t–I didn’t do anything–”**

**“You were thinking about it.”**

He sat back politely but with his eyes wide, looking like a kid that got caught with a cookie before dinner. Sam and Riley tried not to laugh.

“So, you three were looking for me?”

“Yeah, how did you know that?” Riley asked excitedly.

Missouri laughed. “Well, your aunt makes the best pies in town, and I happened to be picking one up shortly after you showed up. She had mentioned that you all needed to speak to me.”

“So, you’re _not_ psychic?” Dean asked with skepticism in his voice.

**“Do I look like a magician to you, boy? I can’t just pull information out of thin air. I read some thoughts and pick up energies around me. I don’t know everything.”** She was irritated with the oldest Winchester.

Again, like the child in trouble, he sat back and decided to be quiet. He had been shamed enough.

“So, we heard you knew our dad?” Sam was eager to know more.

**“Yes. Your father came to me after the fire. I was the one who told him the truth. I told him what was _really_ out there.”**

“Were you the one that figured out it was a demon?”

She nodded her head with fear growing in her eyes. “I walked through that house after everything happened. John had hoped I would pick up on something, and I did. Oh, and it was evil. I could still feel its yellow eyes staring at me and it felt as though I was swallowed into darkness. I’ve never felt anything like it.” Missouri took a moment. “It’s the same thing that took your mother too, Riley. Both your fathers were hunting for it, desperate to avenge their lost wives. I actually introduced them to each other. They needed someone who could understand their pain.”

“That’s funny. I actually never knew how they met.” Riley imagined a young John and Jack teaming up with a fire lit beneath them. She was proud to be his daughter.

“And he was so proud to be your father.” Missouri looked at her and their eyes met. _“You can hear me can’t you, honey?”_

She knew. Missouri knew about her gift. Was it a gift? _“…yes. I can.”_

Ms. Mosely smiled at Riley and continued the conversation. She knew the young hunter wasn’t ready to share her secret with Sam and Dean. “So, you’re here because of the house. It’s acting up again. Let’s go, together. It’s time we put an end to this.”

Nerves grew in Sam’s stomach. **“It doesn’t feel like an end to me. It feels like something’s just starting.”**

* * *

Walking through the old Winchester house, Missouri felt around. She touched items, walls, and stood in rooms trying to pick up energies. They all followed her as she went into the little girl’s room upstairs.

**“This was your nursery, Sam. This is where it all happened.”**

Sam stood in the doorway and slowly walked in. He had imagined the bedroom a thousand times before, but being there was something completely different. It was almost as though the memories lived and breathed in that room.

Dean couldn’t stomach walking in. He stood in the hallway and flashbacks ran through his mind of John giving Sammy to him and telling him to run. Riley could hear the pain in him. It was more like agony. When the emotions were strongest, that’s when her ability seemed to kick in most. She reached out for Dean’s hand and laced their fingers. “Together,” she said. With the courage she gave him, they finally walked inside. As they did, Riley looked up at the ceiling where Mary Winchester had died and a scream echoed through her mind. She shook her head and tried to shut it off without worrying Dean.

Knowing that the little girl had seen an entity on fire in her closet, Missouri opened it and walked in. **“Well, I don’t know if you boys should be disappointed or relieved, but this ain’t the thing that took your mom.** I’m sure of it. No, this is something different, and there’s more than one spirit in this place.”

The brothers looked at each other unsure of what to feel. **“What are they doing here?”** Dean asked.

**“They’re here because of what happened to your family. You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you. It walked this house. That kind of evil leaves wounds, and sometimes wounds get infected. This place is a magnet for paranormal energy.”** Missouri turned to look around the room. **“It’s attracted a poltergeist; a nasty one. And it won’t rest until Jenny and her babies are dead.”**

**“You said there was more than one spirit.”** Sam hung on her every word, hoping that there may be a sign of his mother.

She nodded. **“There is. I just can’t quite make out the second one.”**

**“Well one thing’s for damn sure,”** Dean walked further into the room. **“No one’s dying in this house ever again. So whatever’s here, how do we stop it?”**

* * *

Missouri convinced Jenny and her family to leave for the evening. She promised that the house would be safe when she came home. The plan was to stuff magic warding bags in the north, south, east and west corners of the house in the hopes to purify it.

Walking into the basement together, Missouri and Riley studied the area. “When exactly do you plan on telling them all your little secrets, sweetheart?”

Riley’s heart jumped into her throat. Missouri knew everything. She didn’t know if she was relieved to no longer be the only one who knew or if she was terrified. She hesitated before she spoke. “I don’t know. I’m scared to. I know they’re my family now, but we’ve hunted people with ‘abilities’. What if they see me as a monster?”

She walked to Riley and took her hand in hers. “When you’re ready to tell those boys your secret, they’ll still love you. Especially that stubborn one of yours. Don’t be afraid of who you are.”

Riley smiled. _“Thank you,”_ she thought.

Meanwhile, Sam had taken the upstairs part of the house and Dean was on the main floor. Spreading out, they broke into walls in the corners of the house.

In the basement, as Missouri and Riley found appropriate spots. They put the bags in the opposite corners. The poltergeist felt the energy in the house begin to shift and it wasn’t going to leave without a fight. A large dresser that had been stored away, flew in Riley and Missouri’s direction. They yelped as it hit them and held them tightly against the wall.

As Sam went to place his warding bag in the wall, an electrical cord snapped out at him and wrapped tightly around his throat. On the floor now, gasping for air, he tried in desperation to get it off.

At that same moment in the kitchen, a knife shot its way at Dean’s head. He turned and ducked as it nearly missed him and drove into the wall. Realizing what was happening, he grabbed the table beside him and flipped it to use it as a shield. He covered his face as six large knives stabbed into the wood.

Dean ran upstairs to check on Sam only to find him barely conscious. He tried to pull the cord off his gasping brother but couldn’t fight the powerful energy. He grabbed the warding bag and put it in the wall where Sam had chopped it open. As he did, a bright and nearly blinding light shot through the house. The cord fell from his little brother’s throat as Dean went to make sure he was okay. He held him close as Sam finally caught his breath.

* * *

Standing in the kitchen, the group looked around. The house had been trashed by the poltergeist but it was quiet.

**“Are you sure this is over?”** Sam couldn’t help but feel doubt and wonder if there was more they should be worried about.

**“I’m sure.”** Missouri turned to Sam curious. **“Why do you ask?”**

**“No, nevermind.”** He sighed heavily. **“It’s nothing I guess.”**

Riley could feel Sam’s concern and wondered if he was feeling something more. How deep did his abilities actually run?

Jenny walked in with her kids. “Oh my god, what happened?”

Sam smiled and let out an awkward laugh. **“Yeah, sorry about that. We’ll uh–we’ll pay for all of this.”** Dean shot a look of “what the fuck” at his brother and Missouri felt it.

**“Don’t worry,”** she said. **“Dean’s gonna clean up this mess.”** Again, Dean’s face read the same and even more so this time. **“Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Get the mop.”** He turned to leave with irritation. **“And don’t you cuss at me.”** Turning back to Missouri, he again was the kid in trouble. Sam and Riley had to once again stifle a laugh.

* * *

Drained from the day, Riley, Sam, and Dean sat in the Impala in front of the house. “Why are we still here, Sam? Missouri did her thing and the house should be clean. It’s over.” Dean was tired and wanted to rest.

“Yeah, maybe.” Sam’s eyes were still scanning the windows of the house. “I just wanna make sure.”

Riley leaned her head against the passenger side window. “I would kill to go to sleep right now.”

Sam jumped when he saw Jenny in the upstairs window. **“Dean! Dean!”** It was exactly as he saw it in his vision. She was pounding away and screaming for help.

They all ran as fast as they could up to the house and back inside. **“You guys grab the kids, I’m gonna get Jenny!”** Dean yelled as they headed up the stairs.

Riley ran to get the little boy and held him tight. Coming down the hall, she saw Sam coming out of the girl’s room telling her to shut her eyes and not to look. The fire spirit was in the room walking in their direction.

Dean and Jenny waited outside as Riley ran out with the kids. “Where’s Sam?” Dean yelled.

“He gave me the kids and something pulled him back in. We have to go back!” She gave the children to their mother. Before the two rushed back to save their partner, the door slammed shut.

Getting the shotgun with salt rounds, Dean handed it to Riley and grabbed an ax from the trunk. They ran back up and Dean began to chop at the door. He yelled for Sam. Little did he know, his brother was being tossed across the kitchen like a ragdoll. An unseen force, threw him against the wall one more time and held him there as he fought to get free. The fire spirit appeared once again and walked towards him.

Finally inside, Riley and Dean saw what was happening. They were shocked and terrified. She raised the shotgun and readied to fire.

**“No! No! Don’t!”** Sam pleaded.

Riley turned to him. “What? Why the hell not?”

Sam’s face softened. **“Because I know who it is. I can see her now.”**

As he spoke, the fire ceased and revealed a beautiful Mary Winchester. Dean shook as he looked into the face of the woman he missed more than anything. She walked up to them and lovingly looked into their eyes. They held back tears as they finally saw their mom again.

**“I’m sorry,”** Mary said as she looked at her boys. Tears now ran down their faces. They didn’t understand why she would say that.

She walked to the center of the room and looked up. **“You, get out of my house, and let go of my son.”** Bursting back into flames, her spirit shot back up to the ceiling. It spread out only to finally disappear.

Sam was released from the wall and Dean looked around desperately searching for his mother. Riley stood in shock and was overwhelmed by the love that had glowed from Mary. It brought tears to her eyes. But, it was finally over. She had sacrificed herself to protect her boys. Her spirit fought off the evil poltergeist.

* * *

Out on the porch, Missouri sat next to a sad and confused Sam. **“Well, there aren’t any spirits in there anymore for sure this time.”**

Sam’s heart broke a little. **“Not even my mom?”**

She shook her head and reached out to comfort him. Missouri spoke hesitantly. **“Sam, I’m sorry. You sensed it was still here, didn’t you? Even when I couldn’t.”**

**“What’s happening to me?”**

She shook her head again. “I wish I had answers for you, honey…but I just don’t.”

* * *

After taking in enough for one day, the gang headed back to Deb’s. They agreed to stay in the apartment instead of a motel. Debbie had insisted.

The lights were off with only the tv glowing. Sam had dozed off with Finn at his side on one end of the long couch. Dean sat with Riley’s head in his lap as he began to feel more and more relaxed. She had curled up under a blanket and was sound asleep. He absently stroked her hair. Dean realized how different his life had been before his last trip to Lawrence. Coming home brought him to her.

Dean looked up as Deb sat on a chair next to the sofa. She smiled at the couple.

She whispered, trying not to wake the others. “You really love her don’t you?”

Caught off guard by the question, he looked back down at the sleeping auburn-headed woman in his lap. Dean brushed her hair off her face and then looked back at her aunt.

“I do,” he whispered. “Very much.”

“Be good to her. She doesn’t let people in the way she has with you. I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

“Deb, I could never hurt her.”

Her worry had dulled as she watched how peaceful Riley was in his arms. She stood and put a hand on his shoulder. “Do you want me to help you get her to bed?”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t want to wake her.”

Debbie grabbed two extra blankets and covered Dean around his shoulders. She went to then put one on Sam. “Goodnight, Dean. Welcome to the family.” They smiled at each other before she turned to go to bed.

* * *

Driving down the road the following night, the group had decided to drive to the next town to catch a movie. Def Leppard came on the radio and Dean and Riley were lost in the music. They loved when they could mess around to their favorite songs. He played the beat on the steering wheel while she sang along. Sam sat in the back and smiled but rolled his eyes. They were sometimes too much to handle when they were together, but he loved them both.

Dean’s phone rang and he turned down the stereo before flipping it open to answer. “Hello?”

Missouri spoke through the line with panic in her voice. “Something terrible is about to happen. You have to get back to the diner now! It might already be too late!”

Riley looked up as Dean’s expression changed into fear. “What? What’s happening?”

“We gotta go back.” He slammed on the breaks sending Baby skidding before effortlessly flipping the car in the other direction. His foot pressed down hard on the gas as they sped back down the road.

As they neared the diner, a bright orange light came from up ahead. Riley’s heart pounded in her chest as Sam spoke up, “Oh my god.”

Coming around the corner, the diner was engulfed in flames. Riley gasped in horror seeing her home set ablaze. Onlookers from the town had gathered. There was sadness as their beloved diner was burning.

Before Dean could put the car in park, Riley jumped out of the car and ran inside the burning building.

“RILEY!” Dean yelled in terror only to watch her disappear into the fire. Sirens began to ring out nearby.

Flames ran through the diner as she tried to make her way through. The heat hurt her lungs when she breathed and the air was thick with smoke. “Deb? DEB?!” Riley ran up the back stairs to the apartment in a full sprint.

She kicked in the door and anxiously looked for her aunt. Screaming her name a few more times, she could feel the fire around her growing stronger. Riley began to panic when she couldn’t find her.

Dean came rushing in behind her as the ceiling began to creak. From outside the door, he yelled, “Riley! We have to go!”

“I have to find her! I can’t find her!” She coughed from the fumes.

She turned towards Debbie’s room and saw the entire room lit in fire. A black shadow figure stood in front of the door as the fire raged on. Riley could feel the evil surging through the house and knew exactly who was looking back at her. “NO!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The bedroom door slammed shut; the figure disappearing behind it.

Before she could charge towards the room, Dean had caught up to her and grabbed her. “She’s gone! She’s gone, Riley! Let’s go!”

Sobbing, she took Dean’s hand and he ran in the direction of the stairs with her in tow. The ceiling began to cave in. The sound of glass breaking and the fire crackling surrounded them.

Sam paced next to the Impala, his hands on his head fearing the worst. He was crying. Dean and Riley came running out of the diner and he finally exhaled. As the couple reached the parking lot, they turned to face the burning building. There was nothing they could do but watch as Riley’s home was slowly destroyed.

Riley began to weep and fell to her knees. Her sobs turned into screams of pain. Both of the brothers came to her sides and knelt beside her, holding her as her whole world came crashing down.

“I can’t feel her anymore,” she sobbed. “I can’t–I can’t feel her. I can’t feel her, Dean.”

Not knowing what she meant, he pulled her head into his chest. All he could do at this point was hold her.

Suddenly a realization came over Riley. “Oh my god. Where’s Finn?!” She shot up and began to yell for him through the tears. “FINN!! FINN?!”

A small whimper came from the building next door. She turned to see her beloved retriever. He was covered in ash but seemed unhurt. He shook as he hurried over to her and she hurled herself towards the frightened dog. “Finnick!” The dog cried in fear as she wrapped her arms around him.

“It’s ok. You’re safe. I got you.” She sobbed into his fur, clutching his collar and pulling him close.

It seemed as though the world had gone silent as if mourning a great loss. Sam and Dean watched with tears in their eyes as their partner wailed in agony. They knew, there was no coming back from this.

* * *

After a terrible night, Riley, Sam, and Dean had gone to Missouri’s house. She knew they would need food, sleep and a place to feel safe. She had even closed her business to keep the house quiet and to tend to the kids.

It was sometime after noon, and Dean walked down the stairs. He sulked into the kitchen to find Sam at the table with his head in his hands and Missouri sitting across from him. She had coffee in her hands and her face looked heartbroken. They turned when Dean came in.

“How is she?” Sam had been worried all morning.

“She’s not good, Sammy.” Dean poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked exhausted. They all did.

Sam exhaled before speaking. “The fire marshall called. He said they have no clue where the fire originated. There were no faulty wires or broken gas lines.“ He paused. "And uh–they found Deb’s body.”

Dean closed his eyes and tried to hold back tears. “I was really holding out hope that–” He sat down and ran his palm down his face. “I don’t know what to do. She’s devastated. I can’t even get her out of bed.”

“She needs time.” Missouri’s voice was low and sorrowful. “Riley is in too much pain right now. We have to just wait until she’s ready.”

Tears filled Dean’s eyes and a lump grew in his throat as he spoke. “I uh–I can’t fix this for her. I can’t make it right. All I can do is sit with her and watch her suffer. It’s not right.”

“None of this is right. None of you have deserved the pain you’ve all been through; the loss you’ve all experienced.” Missouri did what she could to console Dean. “You are doing all you can for her. She’s gonna need you now more than ever, though. The both of you. You’re all the family she has left.”

* * *

An hour or so later, Dean headed back towards the room he was sharing with Riley. He took a deep breath and exhaled before opening the door.

Looking in the room, he saw a broken woman, curled up in a ball on the bed. She was still in her clothes from the night before. He had tried to help her get undressed but she wouldn’t budge. Riley stared off into the distance with silent tears flowing down her cheeks. Her face was vacant.

Sam had bathed Finn earlier to remove any evidence of the fire. The dog, loyal as always, never left her side. He laid behind her, his head tucked into her neck.

Dean closed the door behind him and walked over to her. Sitting down on the bed beside her, he softly spoke. “Sweetheart? Can I get you something to eat?” When she didn’t answer, he sighed and gently rubbed her arm. Dean wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and kiss her, but he knew that was what _he_ wanted, and not what she needed.

He leaned down and kissed her head. “I’m here if you need anything. We all are.” After a minute, he stood to walk towards the door.

"I need to tell you something.” Her voice was raspy and tired. He turned to face her just happy she had finally spoken.

Dean knelt by the bed and took her hand. “I’m here. What is it?” Finn got up and moved to the foot of the bed to lay at Riley’s feet.

“I’ve been keeping secrets from you. From both of you.” She sniffled and turned her eyes to face him. 

“What do you mean?” He spoke with patience and understanding, hoping she would just keep talking to him.

“Ever since the day we met, I started feeling things. Energies, emotions…” Riley didn’t even care if she sounded insane at this point. She had gone numb and needed to get the words out. “I started being able to hear people’s thoughts.”

He blinked a couple times as he tried to process what she just told him. “Honey, I think you’re really tired. Maybe you should get some sleep.”

“No, Dean. I know I’m not making any sense, but it’s the truth.”

“ _…I don’t even know what to say to her_ ,” Dean thought.

“Just say you believe me.” Riley’s telepathy still only happened randomly. She had very little control over it. But she was relieved that it worked now when she needed it to.

Dean’s eyes grew as he looked up at her. She forced a closed smile and nodded. Slowly he came to terms with what had just happened between them.

He stammered. “What–uh…did it–” He pulled his thoughts together. “Wait, is that why last night you kept saying you couldn’t feel Deb anymore?”

Tears ran down Riley’s face as she nodded. “I know I should have told you. I wanted to. But I was too scared. I thought you would think I was crazy or evil and leave me.”

Dean took both of her hands into his and squeezed them. “Look at me. If I go somewhere, you’re coming with me. There isn’t anything that could ever make me think you were evil. You are the best person I have ever known. I’m a better person because of you.”

Riley felt love radiating from Dean in its purest form. His heart ached to see her in pain and she could feel how deeply connected they were. Her pain was his.

“I wanted to tell you before we came back to Kansas, but then Sam’s visions started and it was all too much.” She sniffled again. “I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. I get it, okay? I know why you didn’t tell us. We’re gonna figure it all out together. I promise.”

Riley scooted back and motioned for him to lay with her and he did without hesitation. All he had wanted since the night before was to hold her. Dean put his forehead to hers and breathed her in as he brushed the hair away from her face.

“I love you, Dean.”

He closed his eyes and soaked in the warmth of her in his arms. “I love you, sweetheart.”

* * *

A week had come and gone since the fire. The first few days were the worst. Riley barely moved or ate. Dean tended to her every chance he got and Sam was more than happy to help. The boys offered to leave and get a hotel while Riley recuperated, but Missouri wouldn’t have it. “My home is yours,” she told them.

It was a Saturday afternoon. Missouri and Sam were downstairs deep in conversation. They were determined to find out what was happening to him and Riley with their new abilities.

Dean walked down the upstairs hallway with a tray in hand. He had made Riley a sandwich and a coffee. It seemed that bringing the food to her was the only way he could get her to eat. Getting closer to their room, he heard a soft tune. Dean beamed with joy when he realized Riley had picked up her guitar again and was singing.

Standing at the door, he watched as his best friend strummed the guitar. Her voice was heartbroken and soft but sounded beautiful. She was singing Fleetwood Mac’s “The Landslide”. Dean had no desire for her to stop.

Riley sat in one of Dean’s comfortable shirts and a pair of pajama shorts. Her hair was in a messy bun and her glasses sat in front of her teary red eyes. He loved seeing her with that guitar in her hands and knew it was almost therapeutic for her as she sang on.

_“Oh mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child in my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changin’ ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?”_ Riley stopped as her pain welled up in her throat. She took a breath and continued; fighting back tears. _“Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’ cause I’ve built my life around you. But time makes you bolder, even children get older and I’m gettin’ older too…“_ Stopping again, she sniffled and put the guitar next to the bed. Riley rubbed Finn’s fur to soothe herself. He had fallen asleep to the melody next to her.

Dean finally decided to go in. “Hey, honey. I brought you some lunch.”

“Oh, thank you. That was really sweet of you,” she said turning to him and wiping away the remaining tears.

“That was beautiful, Riley.”

The lump in her throat returned. “That uh–that was the song Deb sang to me as a kid. When I missed my dad or got scared at night, it was her way of calming me.”

He hadn’t prepared himself for that response. Placing the tray on the side table, Dean sat next to what he thought was the most beautiful woman in the world. He rubbed her back and she collapsed into his chest and sobbed. Holding her tightly, he ran his hand over her hair. “It’s ok, sweetheart. I got you.”

* * *

The next morning, Sam, Dean, and Missouri sat in her parlor and attempted to make a game plan. They looked at maps on Sam’s laptop and tried to pinpoint possible locations of demonic activity. There had to be a way to locate the monster that had terrorized their families.

Dean excused himself and went into the kitchen. Flipping open his phone, he called his father in one last desperate attempt.

_“You’ve reached John Winchester. If this is an emergency, call my son Dean at 785-555-2476.”_ The tone beeped.

“Dad, I know I’ve called you before, and hell I don’t even know if you’re getting these messages.” He took a deep breath trying not to let his voice break. “But things have been happening, dad. We had to go back to Lawrence. I have so much to tell you about what happened back at the old house. But–Riley, my girlfriend…she lost the only family she had left. The demon that killed mom, her mom, Jess–it took her aunt. We have to find him. Please..” Dean’s voice finally breaking, “dad, I need your help. _We_ need your help. Call me back.” He flipped the phone shut and put it to his forehead as he tried to compose himself.

There was thudding coming down the stairs and Dean ran out of the kitchen. Missouri and Sam followed the sound as well. As they all met in the foyer, Riley had come down with Finn and her duffle bag. She was putting on her jacket and lacing her boots. 

“Riley, where are you going?” Sam asked in a worried tone.

“I can’t sit here any longer. I have to go after it. That _thing_ is out there and more people are gonna get hurt. I have to do something. No one else I love is going to die because of this son of a bitch.” Her words had a bite to them and some came out seething through her teeth as she fought back tears.

Dean flew to her side where she was putting on her shoes and placed his hand on hers. “Sweetheart, if you’re ready to go, we’ll go.”

“No, I’m gonna go get the Mustang and set out with Finn. I can’t leave him behind now.”

He put a finger under her chin and gently turned her his direction. “You don’t have to leave him anywhere. He’s coming with us, and you are too. There is nowhere you can go that I won’t follow you. We do this together.”

Sam was surprised that his brother was willing to take the dog with them. He knew full well that Dean never allowed dogs in the car and that he wasn’t a huge fan of them to begin with. He smiled seeing his brother doing all he could for the woman he loved.

“Dean, you don’t have to do that,” she said as she cried.

He wiped away the tears from her face with the back of his hand. “Yes, I do. If he’s family to you, he’s family to us.” She threw her arms around him and his thoughts ran through her. “ _I would do anything for you, Riley._ ” Everything he said; he meant every word.

“Well, it looks like it’s time for you four to get going. I’ll pack you all some food for the road.” Missouri was so worried for the group but beamed with pride

* * *

Everyone was packed and ready to go. Dean threw everyone’s luggage in the trunk and made sure everything was ready. All three took turns saying their goodbye’s to Missouri.

The youngest Winchester hugged her tight. “Thank you, Missouri, for everything. I don’t know what’s happening or why, but I know that we wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

“You take care of yourself, Samuel. Trust your instincts and listen to your visions.”

Dean and Missouri may have had a bumpy start, but they grew to love each other. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for us. For her.”

“No need. You take care of her. Riley’s gonna be the one that saves you all.” Not knowing what she meant by that, he hugged her.

With tears in her eyes, Riley wrapped her arms around her new friend. “You have been so good to us. I don’t know how to repay you.”

Missouri sent her thoughts into Riley, _“you take care of yourself, and those boys. That’s how.”_ Riley smiled. _“You have a gift, Riley. It’s going to take you down some bumpy roads, but it’s there for a reason. Let it guide you. Trust in yourself.”_ She spoke out loud, “you all will always have a home here. And should you ever need a babysitter for your little Finn? I’ll happily take him.”

With another hug and a quick kiss on the cheek, Riley gave her one last look. “Thank you, my friend.”

The hunters loaded into the car and Finn joined Sam in the back seat.

**“Don’t be strangers, you hear me?”** Missouri yelled out.

“We won’t!” Dean smiled back. He started the car and the engine roared. “You guys ready?” He looked over to Riley, hoping for a sign that she was alright.

“Ask me later,” Riley replied. He smiled at her response and with a final wave goodbye, they pulled away from the curb and eased onto the road.


	5. Chapter 5 - "Scarecrow"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a mission to find out what has been happening to disappearing couples, the hunters stumble upon a small town with dark secrets. Tensions rise as the three struggle to find John Winchester.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: language and violence
> 
> DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.

Spring had finally come which meant the rain showers came with it. The pitter patter of falling drops hit the top of the motel roof and slid down the windows. It was still dark, but morning was close by. Riley, Sam and Dean were sound asleep. Even Finn had curled up in a ball next to Riley’s side of the bed and had found his way to “dreamland.”

Dean’s phone vibrated on the nightstand. Sam was the only one to wake from the noise. “Dean.” Again, it vibrated. “Dean.” Another vibration. Sam leaned over and picked up the phone. Seeing an unknown number, he flipped it open. “Hello?” His voice was sleepy and raspy.

**“Sam, is that you?”** The voice on the other end was deep and one Sam knew all too well. He shot up from bed.

“Dad? Is that you? Oh my god, we’ve been looking everywhere for you! Are you ok?”

“I’m alright, Sammy. What about you guys? I know Riley’s with you now.”

“Yeah, yeah. We’re all good. Dad, where are you?” Sam was desperate to get answers.

**“Sorry, kiddo,”** John replied.  **“I can’t tell you that.”**

“What? Why not?”

Riley and Dean woke hearing the conversation. Looking at his brother, Dean’s eyes widened as panic and eagerness rushed through him. Riley was barely awake, and feeling his emotions overwhelmed her with how tired she was.

“Is that dad?!” Dean reached for the phone, but Sam held it to his ear.

**“Look, I know it’s hard for you to understand. You’re just gonna have to trust me on this.”**

Sam realized what was going on.  **“…you’re after it aren’t you? The demon.”**

“I heard about your girlfriend, Sammy; and Riley’s aunt. I’m so sorry.  **I would have done anything to protect you from that** .” The guilt John felt was evident with every word he spoke.

**“…you know where it is.”**

**“I think I’m closing in on it.”**

**“Dad, let us help.”** Sam pleaded to his father.

**“You can’t be any part of it. That’s why I’m calling. You and your brother, you gotta stop looking for me. Listen, Sam, I need you to take down some names.”**

**“Names?** Dad, what are you talking about? Where the hell are you?”

**“This is bigger than we thought. They’re everywhere. It’s too dangerous. Even us being on the phone is risky. Now look, I gave you an order. Stop following me and do your job, you understand me? Now write these names down.”**

Dean had his arm extended waiting for the phone the entire time. “Sam? Let me talk to him.”

Sam’s face turned to anger, and his brow furrowed. Breathing heavy, he tried to contain himself from yelling at his father on the other line. He handed the phone to Dean and tried to control his rage. Fully awake now, Riley felt the change in Sam’s emotions and the anger was so much it almost became her own. She had never seen Sam like that before.

Taking the phone, Dean put it to his ear.  **“Dad, it’s me. Where are you? We–”** He stopped mid-sentence and listened to John.  **“Yes, sir.”** He paused again to listen.  **“Uh..yes, sir I got a pen.”**

—–

Baby roared down a highway after the three had jumped in the car right after receiving John’s call. Sam was adamant about driving. He was going to get them on the road as quick as he could. Dean sat in the front and Riley sat in the backseat with her furry companion.

“Alright, so the names dad gave us? They’re couples. All went on cross-country trips and were never heard from again. There’s a pattern: one couple, every year, disappearing in the second week of April.” Dean rifled through the few things he could print on the information he was given.

“Wait. It’s the second week of April,  _ now. _ ” Riley realized this case was more urgent than she had already thought. Another couple was going to be in danger.

“Yup. And apparently, they all went through the same stretch in Indiana. I can’t believe dad was able to put all this together. I mean, think of how much research he had to do to find the links in the cases.  **The man is a master.”**

Still reeling from his conversation with John, Sam jumped in. “Okay, but we’re not going to Indiana. We’re going to California. Dad called from a Sacramento area code.”

“What?” Dean asked. He couldn’t believe Sam wasn’t on the same page as him. “No, no. Dad gave us an order and we’re gonna see it through.”

“I don’t care!” Sam barked back. “Dad’s close to the demon. That thing killed Jess  _ and _ mom  _ and _ Debbie. We’re gonna meet him out there and we’re getting answers.” He exhaled sharply. “I don’t get you! You have such blind faith in the man.”

**“It’s called being a good son!”** Dean was fed up with Sam’s lack of obedience.

Riley knew it wasn’t her place to interject during this argument. She sat quietly petting Finn feeling the tension and anger grow through the car. Pacing her breathing, she closed her eyes trying to calm herself. The boys’ emotions swirled inside her like a coming storm.

Pulling the car off to the side of the road, Sam slowed down as the gravel came from under the car. He got out in a huff and headed for the trunk. Dean and Riley followed after him.

“What the  _ hell _ are you doing, Sam?” Dean’s anger came through his every word.

Sam grabbed his pack from the trunk and slung it over his shoulder. “I told you, I’m going to find dad.”

“Sam,” Riley said calmly. “Please, don’t do this.”

Ignoring her comment, Dean stopped controlling his anger. **“You’re a selfish bastard, you know that?”**

The youngest Winchester looked at his brother and scoffed.  **“Well this selfish bastard is leaving.”**

Desperate to defuse the situation, Riley jumped in again. “Guys come on. We can figure this out.” Her breathing quickened and she began to feel dizzy. The frustration and anger between the brothers was too much; overwhelming her senses. Riley bent over feeling sick to her stomach and Dean ran to her side.

“Hey, hey. What’s going on?”

Trying to not make the moment about her, she waved him off. “I’m good. I’m good.” Riley leaned against the trunk using it to stabilize herself.

“No you’re not,” he said full of concern. “Wait a minute. You were talking before about how higher emotions can get the better of you.” He pointed a finger between himself and Sam. “Is this because of  _ us _ ? Because of  _ this _ ?”

Feeling terrible for not being able to control her abilities, she nodded with her eyes closed.

“Great, Sam. Now you got Riley sick because of your  _ damn _ tantrum.”

“Don’t blame  _ me _ , Dean. You are  _ just _ as much to blame for this whole situation. Actually, maybe even  _ more _ so.” Sam looked at Riley’s concerned and saddened face and went to hug her. His face was in her hair and her stomach seemed to settle as love flowed from him. A moment passed and he kissed the top of her head. “I love you. I’m so sorry.” Sam quickly released her as he turned away.

“Sam, it’s the fucking middle of the night! I swear to god, I will leave your dumbass,” Dean threatened.

Looking back at his brother Sam responded with a snarky tone.  **“That’s what I want you to do.”**

Dean let out an annoyed sigh and mumbled under his breath.  _ “Un-fucking-believable.” _

A confused Riley was filled with the emotions being flung around and couldn’t handle the stress. She yelled for Sam as her voice broke. “Sam! Come back!” He didn’t turn around and continued on.

Opening the passenger door, Dean turned to Riley waiting for her to get inside. “Honey, come on. Let him go. He’s a lost cause.”

As her eyes welled with sadness, she glanced back at Sam trying to send her thoughts to beg him to stay.  _ “Don’t go. We need you. I need you. …please.” _

When he still didn’t turn, she walked towards Dean. Tears stung the corners of her eyes as she tried to hold herself together for him. He took her hand and guided her into the car.

Soon as he was back in his seat, Dean put Baby in drive and took off down the dark road. Riley watched out the side mirror as Sam began to disappear behind them.

——

Sam had walked for miles until the sun came over the horizon. The highway seemed to go on forever and with few cars passing through, hitch-hiking wasn’t working. He secured his bag on his shoulder and trudged on.

The night before weighed on him. It felt as though he was hauling something heavy with every step. Sam hated fighting with Dean. Despite how much they could disagree, he was still his big brother.

And Riley? She was his sister. The pain in the ass kind that he never really knew he needed. Sam remembered the hurt in her eyes and how guilty he had felt that he had to leave her behind.  _ “I just hope she’ll understand…” _

Looking ahead, there seemed to be someone sitting on the side of the road. As he got closer, he saw the back of what looked like a young woman. She had headphones on over her short, platinum blonde hair. Sam walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. The touch of the stranger caused her head to whip around in panic. She exhaled as she saw the innocent looking hunter.

“Oh my god! You scared the  _ shit _ outta me.”

“I’m so sorry,” he laughed. “I just saw you and thought maybe you needed help.”

“No. Thanks, I’m good.” She smiled at him. “So, uh…where you headed?”

“California.”

“No way. Me too.”

Sam let out a breathy laugh. “Well, I mean we could get some miles under us and head that way together.”

“I don’t know you. You’re hitch-hiking. You could be some kind of freak.” The girl gave him a mischievous smirk. He chuckled in response.

A large truck was driving towards the two travelers. The girl stuck out her thumb as she tried to get the driver’s attention. The truck seemed to slow down and then stopped in front of them. “Need a ride?” The driver was a man with a husky voice that looked dirty and questionable. But they  _ did _ need that ride.

They both went towards the truck and the driver stopped them. “Nuh-uh. Just the girl.”

She got in and closed the door as Sam walked up to her. “You trust ‘shady trucker-guy’ but not me?” As she gave him a final smile, the truck pulled away.

Sam watched as they drove away, and dirt spun out beneath the tires. He scoffed with a smile at the encounter that left him completely puzzled.

—–

The Impala pulled into the small town of Burkittsville, Indiana. The rain sprinkled around them, and the smell of freshly wet pavement filled the air.

Riley and Dean hadn’t spoken most of the night. She was annoyed with both Winchesters for their childish behavior. Watching her best friend leave them the night before, broke her heart. Not to mention she had been struggling just to function every day since she lost Deb.

Dean could see Riley was in no mood to interact with anyone. He looked over at her and placed his hand on hers that sat on the seat. “I’m gonna go talk to some locals. You wanna wait in the car?” She nodded and wiped away a tear that snuck down her face. He kissed her cheek and got out of the car.

Riley took a deep breath and looked back at Finn. He had been sitting patiently waiting for her attention. “Hey, buddy.” She rubbed his head as she grabbed her sweater. Bundling it up, she made a pillow and put it against the window to rest her head.

_ Opening her eyes, Riley saw she was in Debbie’s bedroom. Trying to move, she realized she was completely frozen on the bed. As she fought against whatever was holding her down, she looked up. Deb was on the ceiling; her stomach had been slashed and blood covered her abdomen. Her face was washed out and full of terror. _

_ Riley began to hyperventilate as she panicked. Her heart was beating fast against her caged chest and she could hear her pulse in her ears. She could do nothing but watch the horror of her aunt’s death unfold. No words would come out of her mouth. Deb screamed out for Riley as fire consumed her and spread across the ceiling like it had come to life. _

A wet lick on her face woke Riley from her nightmare. She gasped for air trying to calm her racing heart. Finn had reached over the seat trying to bring her out of whatever dream was tormenting her. He whined waiting to see if she was okay. Riley turned to him and rubbed his ear. “Good boy.”

The last two weeks had been nothing but pain. On top of her constant nightmare of dad finding her dead, now another of her suffering aunt found its way into her mind. Riley wasn’t even there when Deb died. Why was she seeing it in her dreams? It wasn’t fair. It was like she could never find a moment of peace.

A dark cloud seemed to crawl over Riley’s heart. She had felt it all too often since losing Deb. It was sadness, hopelessness and anguish all balled into one. The light in her eyes began to slip away.

This wasn’t the first time she felt this. Since the fire, it seemed to follow her wherever she went. Riley had to fight just to get out of bed most days. And on some, she lost that battle. Some days all she could do was lie in bed and shut the world out. It all hurt too much. She wasn’t even able to help on the most recent hunt. Riley got good at trying to fake it though. There wasn’t a moment that went by that she didn’t ache. But the demon was still out there and that was her driving force to keep going. Well, that and Sam and Dean.

Dean got into the driver’s seat and settled in. “Alright, so I think I got some info.” As he looked at Riley, he could see how unsettled she was. “Hey, you okay?” Dean reached for her and rubbed her thigh over her jeans.

Swallowing hard and trying to forget the nightmare, she turned to see him waiting for a response. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Must have dozed off.”

Dean hesitated before speaking again in case she decided to share more. When there was silence for a moment he went on. “So, I met some dude named Scotty. He owns the town’s cafe. How he gets business I’ll never know. The guy probably never smiled a day in his life. Anyways, I showed him the flyers of the missing couple from last year and told him they were friends. Said I was looking for them and thought maybe they passed through. Scotty said he never saw them.”

Riley listened but ran her hand through her hair still trying to calm down.

“After talking to the man with the ‘sunny disposition’, I went inside and spoke to an older couple that lived in the town; Mr. and Mrs. Jorgeson. I showed them the pictures and they also said that they hadn’t come through here.  _ But, _ when their daughter looked? She recognized the missing guy’s tattoo and said they stopped for gas at some point. Her father had directed them down the highway. Never saw them again.”

Turning towards Dean, Riley finally engaged in the conversation. “Okay, so either they’re lying, and the daughter has no idea,  _ or _ maybe they just had nothing to do with it.”

“Yeah, I dunno. They seemed pretty sketchy to me.” He thought for a moment. “I say we drive down the highway they went on and see what we find.” Putting the car into reverse, he put his arm over the front seat and looked over his shoulder. They pulled out of the one-horse town and turned towards the road.

After only a few minutes had passed, a loud noise came from Dean’s bag in the backseat. It was the EMF detector and it was whirring out of control. Dean and Riley looked at each other in confusion.

“What the hell?” Reaching back into the seat, Riley found it and checked to make sure it wasn’t broken. It continued to sound off.

Dean pulled off to the side of the road and parked on a stretch of dirt and gravel. There was a fenced off area with an arched entryway that led into what looked like an apple orchard. Vines wrapped around the fencing.

Getting out of the car, Dean stood and closed the door as he checked the area. Riley got out and then opened the door for Finn to follow. She turned to look back at the orchard. It wasn’t inviting at all and Riley got chills up her spine. Without a word, they walked past the gate.

Going further in, the trees seemed to go on forever. It was the middle of the afternoon and there was still an unsettling feeling of being watched. Finn walked by Riley’s side and scanned around them. He always seemed to take his job of protecting her very seriously.

“I don’t like it here. Something doesn’t feel right, Dean.” Riley put her hands on her opposite arms as another shiver came over her.

“Yeah, no argument there.”

As they walked on, they stumbled across a post. Hanging on it was a scarecrow, tied with rope to the pieces of wood; its head hanging down. They went in for a closer look. Upon reaching the post, an unfriendly face looked back at them. A brimmed hat sat on its head and shadowed over its hollowed-out eyes. It had a long black cloak on that was tattered and ripped at the hands. In his right hand, was a large rusted sickle.

**“Dude, you fugly.”** Dean made a disgusted face as he looked at the hanging “man”.

Riley let out a small chuckle. “You know? No one says that enough anymore. We gotta bring that word back.” Dean smiled at her response.

Finn gave a low growl and bared his teeth. His hair stood on end. Riley always trusted his instincts; they never seemed to be wrong. She knew he sensed something.

There was a wooden ladder that rested against a nearby tree. Dean grabbed it and leaned it against the post. As he reached the scarecrow, he looked it over carefully. He was looking for anything that might stand out. Eyeing the sickle, there was a mark that peeked out from the sleeve. Dean raised the worn jacket cuff. A tribal tattoo was on its arm and the arm itself almost looked decayed or like a strange leather. It was an exact match to the tattoo on the arm of the missing man.

**“Nice tat.”** That was all Dean needed to know they were in the right place.

——

Riley unlocked the motel door and the couple went inside with their canine companion. They put their bags down and Dean went to kick off his boots. Riley took two stacked bowls out of her bag and filled them with food and water for Finn. When she finished, she fell backwards onto the bed and let out a sigh.

“As much as I hate these crappy hotels, I never get sick of the feeling of crashing into a bed.”

Dean chuckled. “Being on the road all the time will do that to you.” He walked over to her and pulled off her boots as she giggled. “Mind if I join you?” Her arm extended as if to say  _ “there’s plenty of room.” _ Dean threw himself on the bed, looking over at his favorite girl.

“You know what I just realized? This is the first time we’ve gone on a hunt just the two of us.”

“You’re right. I didn’t even think of that. Well, there’s actually  _ three _ of us.” He turned his head and eyed the sleepy dog on the floor.

She laughed and turned on her side to face him. “I know you never really liked dogs, Dean–”

He quickly stopped her and let out an awkward chuckle. “Wh-what? That’s not true.” Riley gave him a look that showed she knew better, and he sighed. “Fine. You’re probably just gonna read my mind anyways. No, I never really was a dog person.” His face fell and he almost felt guilty for saying what he did.

“Dean, I already knew that.” She smirked at him. “That’s why it meant the world to me that you let Finn come with us. I don’t know how I could ever thank you for how good you’ve been to me.”

Leaning into her, he kissed her, and his hand found the back of her head. His fingers laced between her auburn locks. Dean pulled away and looked at her. “Well, I know  _ one _ way.”

“Oh!” she said in a flirty tone as she raised her eyebrow. “ _ That _ I can do.” Riley put her hand on his chest and pushed him back onto the bed. She crawled over him and straddled over his hips as she leaned down to kiss him. A small moan escaped his throat as her kiss took over him.

He pulled away for a brief moment as he ghosted his lips over hers. “This might be what makes me a dog guy.” She laughed, hard, as he pulled her in for another kiss. Her lips still smiling against his.

——

The next day, Dean went back to the cafe. He knew it was best to leave Riley behind. They didn’t need to look like the kind of couples that seem to disappear in the area.

He walked in and looked around. It was small and cozy. The walls were wooden paneled and there were solid wooden support beams in parts of the room. It smelled delicious. All the tables were empty except for one. A young man and woman sat across from either. It was obvious they were together romantically. They both looked like college students. The man he had met before, Scotty, walked over to the table and placed a warm apple pie in front of them. He told them it was on the house and gave them an overly eager smile.

He then turned to see Dean seated at one of the tables. Scotty almost looked exasperated at the sight of him. It seemed that his plan was to completely ignore Dean’s presence as he attempted to walk by.

Dean cleared his throat. “Uh–can I get a cup of coffee? Black.” Rolling his eyes, Scotty went to leave. “Oh! And some of that pie!” Dean added as he looked over at the couple’s table. Clearly annoyed, the man walked towards the back without a word.

“That looks good,” Dean said looking at the couple’s pie. “You guys staying in town?”

“No. We’re just passing through.” The young dark hair woman smiled at the stranger.

The man she was with joined in the conversation.  **“We came in for gas and the guy at the gas station saved our lives. One of our brake lines was leaking. We had no idea and he offered to fix it for us.”**

Dean knew that this all smelt like a trap.  **“Nice people,”** he said trying to hide how fake he was being. He didn’t hide it well.  **“So how long until you’re up and running?”**

“Sundown.” The young man then turned to continue his meal.

**“Really? To fix a brake line?”** His voice showed disbelief.  **“You know, I know a thing or two about cars. I could probably have you ready to go in about an hour. I won’t charge you anything.”**

The woman looked back at him with gratitude. “Thanks a lot, but I think we’re just gonna let the mechanic do it.”

“ _ Dammit. This isn’t working,” _ Dean thought. He needed to change his tactic. As he leaned over as he spoke in a soft tone to them.  **“You know, it’s just these roads. They’re not real safe at night. I know it sounds strange, but uh–you might be in danger.”**

The couple looked at each other in an awkward moment. They saw Dean’s words as a possible threat. The man at the table put his silverware down onto his plate and looked his way.  **“We’re just trying to eat. Okay?** ”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure.” Dean realized he needed to pull back on the reigns and drop it for the moment.

**“Thanks for coming, Sheriff.”** Scotty walked over as a man in uniform had come inside. He whispered into the Sheriff’s ear and they looked back at Dean.

“I’m gonna need to have a word with you.” The officer stared at the young hunter.

Dean was slightly annoyed. “Is there a problem? I’m just waiting for the pie I still haven’t got.”

The Sheriff took a deep breath. “Look, pal. Don’t make it worse.”

——

The door opened as Dean walked into the room. Putting his keys on the counter, he saw the blinds were shut and there was nothing but silence. Riley was still in bed. It didn’t seem like she hadn’t moved since he left.

He let out a heavy sigh. She was having one of her bad days. It killed him to see her suffering like that. Dean felt helpless seeing the woman he loved lose herself in her grief.

Walking over to her, he saw the ever-faithful Finn lying beside her. Dean smiled knowing that someone was taking care of her when he couldn’t. Putting a hand on the dog’s head, he rubbed it. “Good boy.” That dog didn’t seem half bad after all.

Dean went and sat on the bed beside her. The blankets were pulled up next to her chin as she gripped them underneath. Her eyes were glazed over as she stared off. There was no expression on her face. It didn’t even look like Riley was still in that shell of a body.

“Hey, beautiful.” He rubbed her back. “I missed you today.” She faked a smile but said nothing. “Come on. I saw this little place down the street with a big sign that read:  _ ‘best wings in town.’ _ You know we can’t leave without trying that.” Dean chuckled and waited to see if he had enticed her.

“Thanks, Dean. But I’m not hungry,” Riley said as she pulled the blanket tighter to her face and nuzzled into it.

He knew he had to get her out of that bed. Looking around the room, he tried to come up with an idea when it finally hit him. Dean ran over to the clock radio and flipped through the stations. Hall and Oate’s “You Make My Dreams Come True” came through. He smiled and turned it up as he switched the light on.

Dean had his mouth hanging open with a goofy smile, as he snapped his fingers to the beat and strutted in front of her. He turned his back and waited for the beat. Turning back to look at her he mouthed the words as he danced like a fool.

_ “What I want you’ve got and it might be hard to handle. Like the flame that burns the candle. The candle feeds the flame, yeah, yeah. What I’ve got’s full stock of thoughts and dreams that scatter. Then you pull them all together and how I can’t explain. Oh, yeah. Well, well you…” _ He pointed at Riley in a dramatic fashion.  _ “You make my dreams come true.” _

As she watched Dean, putting everything he had into this ridiculous attempt to make her happy, she couldn’t help the smile that crept up her face. She giggled and he lit up seeing his plan working. Dean took her by the hand as he continued moving to the beat and slowly pulled her out of bed. Still trying not to smile, Riley reluctantly got up with him.

The song continued and he took her hands as he danced her around the room. Dean spun her out and back into him as she let out a full laugh, throwing her head back. She surrendered to the moment and got lost in being with the man she loved.  _ “Oh, yeah. I’ve waited, waited for you, girl. You-hoo, hoo-hoo-ooh. Oh, yeah…You make my dreams come true” _

Dean was beaming and joined her in laughter as the couple danced to the song.

——

Night had fallen as Baby drove back into Burkittsville. The Sheriff had kicked Dean out of town earlier and made sure he wasn’t coming back. It was obvious he had never met a Winchester before.

With Riley at his side and Finn back in their motel room, they returned to the orchard. It was even worse at night; so much worse. A fog had rolled in and had spread over the ground. The moon’s light fell between the leaves of the apple trees. That sickening feeling that Riley had picked up the first time they were there, only intensified. They knew being among those trees wasn’t a safe place to be. But the two had to go back to find out what was really was happening in that field.

Dean held his shotgun in his hand and Riley followed by his side as they walked further in. It was quiet. Not the kind of quiet you usually experience at nighttime. This was the kind of quiet that you could feel in your bones. The only sounds they could hear were the random twigs and leaves they stepped on along the way. Both stayed silent and alert on their way back to the scarecrow’s post.

Out from a distance came a scream. It was a woman and hearing it, Riley could feel the woman’s incredible fear. She swallowed it down as she and Dean looked at each other before taking off towards the cries for help.

Coming around another row of trees, they ran into the couple that Dean had met earlier in the diner. The man looked panicked and the woman had tears running down her face as she shook. She yelped again, as she was startled the hunters.

**“Get back to your car!”** Dean commanded. As he spoke, coming from another row was the scarecrow. He was alive and walking at a brisk pace behind the couple with his sickle in hand. Growls grew from its chest as it went after them.

“Go! Go!” Riley shouted at them. Hearing her orders, they took each other’s hands and ran in the opposite direction. 

Dean fired a shot at the creature, and it didn’t even slow it down.

“We gotta go, Dean! Run!” Riley tugged at his jacket and turned him in the other direction urging him on. He turned several times as they fled and fired more rounds into the scarecrow. The animated creature didn’t seem phased in any way as it quickened its pace behind them.

They ran through the arch at the entrance of the orchard and turned around. Dean cocked the shotgun and was ready to fire again with it aimed in the direction they had come from. Whatever was chasing them, had disappeared into the night.

“What the fuck was that?” the man asked.

**“Don’t ask,”** Dean said firmly.

——

Riley sat on the bed with her ankles crossed. Finn laid beside her with his head on her lap as she rubbed his head. Dean was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him. They were both still calming themselves after their run-in with the creature in the field.

There was silence. Riley had been holding her tongue long enough and finally spoke up. “Are you gonna call him?” she asked looking at him intently. Trying to control her ability, she attempted to hear his thoughts on purpose this time.

_ “I almost called him earlier. I just don’t even know what I would say,” _ he thought.

Sighing, her face was soft and gentle. “I know you want to. And I know he’ll want to hear from you too.” It seemed like she always knew what to say. He  _ did _ want Sam’s advice on the case anyways.

Opening his phone, he found his brother’s name. Before dialing, he looked at his girlfriend and seemed almost uncomfortable. She knew exactly what was bothering him and she chuckled. “Take the call outside so you can talk alone. Just  _ call your brother already. _ ” Her voice was sweet and came through a small smile. Dean gave her a grateful smirk and went outside.

Riley rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Boys.”

Outside, Dean was mid-conversation on his call. Sam sat on the other end and listened about what had happened that night.  **“So, the scarecrow climbed off its cross?”** Sam was enthralled in his brother’s story.

**“Yep. Burkittsville, Indiana. Fun town.”**

**“It didn’t kill the couple did it?”**

**“No, we can cope without you, you know.”**

Sam went back on topic,  **“so something has to be animating it. Maybe some kind of spirit?”**

**“No, this is more than a spirit. It’s a god. Well, a pagan god anyways. The annual cycle of its killings and the fact that its victims are always a man and a woman.** I’m thinking some kind of fertility thing.” He paused. “Oh, and you should have seen how the people in town treated this couple. **It was like they were fattening them up like a Christmas turkey.”**

Scoffing, Sam replied,  **“the last meal, given to sacrificial victims.”**

They talked further into the details and discuss how it may be a ritual to appease a pagan god. There was a theory shared that maybe the god inhabits the body of the scarecrow and takes the sacrifice. Doing this would bring a good harvest and protection for the people. Though, neither knew which god could be responsible.

**“Well, if you figure out what god it is, you can find out how to kill it.”** Sam began to wish he was there helping his family. He felt guilty for having left them.

“I actually got an appointment with a professor tomorrow morning. This is all kind of all in his wheelhouse.  **You know, since I don’t have my trusty sidekick geek boy** who usually has all the answers.” Dean always made jokes as a desperate attempt to lighten the mood. This time, it did the trick and Sam let out a soft chuckle.

Dean swallowed his pride and knew it was time to fix things with his little brother.  **“Actually I…uh–I mean, don’t think that–”** He stumbled trying to find the words. Winchesters were never great at apologies.

But Sam knew exactly what he was trying to do and he smiled.  **“Yeah, I’m sorry too.”**

**“Sam, you were right. You gotta do your own thing and live your own life. You’ve always known what you wanted, and you go after it. I mean, you even stand up to dad.”** He paused.  **“Hell, I wish I–”** Dean couldn’t finish that sentence. He was always “the dutiful son” and the “good soldier”; it was his whole identity.  **“Anyway, I admire that about you. I’m proud of you, Sammy.”**

The youngest Winchester was at a loss for words. He wasn’t prepared for his brother to reach out to him like that. **“I don’t even know what to say…”**

**“Say you’ll take care of yourself.”**

**“I will.”**

**“Call me when you find dad.”**

Sam’s voice softened.  **“Ok. Bye, Dean.”**

Closing his phone, Dean looked at the time. It was after one in the morning. He put it in his jacket pocket and stood looking out from the entrance of their room. Not knowing if or when he would hear back from his brother was eating him alive. But he knew that letting Sam go was the right thing to do. All Dean wanted was to have his family together again.

He took a deep breath and turned to open the door. Riley had fallen asleep curled up with her golden friend. Even the dog’s eyes had shut peacefully knowing his other half was safe. Dean smiled at the sight and was grateful they had gotten a larger bed.

Sneaking into the sheets, he curled up behind her. His mind didn’t even focus on the fact that a  _ dog _ was sharing the bed.

——

Riley and Dean stood in the professor’s office. It was covered in bookshelves that had been stuffed full. His wooden desk sat close to the window and two chairs sat in front of it. Sitting down, they began to ask the professor about local lore with pagan gods.

The man was taken back.  **“I’m afraid Indiana isn’t really known for its pagan worship.”**

Remembering something she had read, Riley thought she might be onto something. “Well, this area was mostly settled by immigrants. Isn’t it possible that they brought their old religion over with them? Like that one town close by; Burkittsville. Where are their ancestors from?”

“Scandinavia, I believe. Now if we’re talking about _ those _ pagan gods, there were hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses.” The professor went and began to scan his shelves for a specific book.

**“We’re actually looking for** **_one_ ** **.”** Dean answered.  **“Might live in an orchard?”**

Seeming to find the right one, he pulled it from the shelf and placed it on his desk. It was old, and a worn leather had bound it together, and the pages looked frail. The professor flipped through the book. There were drawings that the Norse people had made of their gods.

As another page turned, there was a sketch of farmers plowing the field with a figure up on a post. It resembled the creature. “Wait. What’s that one?” Riley pointed her finger to the image.

Dean looked at the text beside it and read out loud.  **“The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity. They kept the local settlements safe from harm. Villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Others practiced human sacrifice; one male and one female. This particular Vanir, its energy sprung from a sacred tree?”**

The professor looked confused by the boy’s fascination with the god. “Well the pagans believed a lot of things were infused with magic.”

**“So, what would happen if the sacred tree was torched? Do you think it would kill the god?”** Dean stood upright and waited for the man to answer his question.

Riley suddenly got an uneasy feeling. It was coming from the professor. She looked at him with her brow furrowed and her eyes studying him. Her telepathy wasn’t happening in that moment and she worried not knowing what the man was thinking. 

**“Son, these are all just legends we’re discussing here,”** the professor chuckled.

Humoring him Dean smiled and nodded.  **“Of course. You’re right.”** He looked back at the image and then at Riley. Her eyes grew and she used them to point at the door, saying they needed to leave. He then looked back to the man in front of him. “Well, thank you very much for your help.” They shook hands.

Riley’s nerves began to have her on edge. Something wasn’t right. They both walked away from the desk and towards the door. Dean whispered to her, “are you okay?”

“Dean, something’s wrong. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not good.”

As soon as they opened the door, two men stood waiting for them. The sheriff from earlier, took his shotgun and rammed the stock end into Dean’s face. He hit the floor, unconscious.

Riley threw a punch at Mr. Jorgeson and clipped his nose. As she pulled back, the sheriff slammed his fist into her face, and she hit the ground next to Dean.

——

“Riley. Riley, wake up.”

Opening her eyes as her head was spinning, Riley could see Dean standing over her. She held her head in pain and groaned. “Ugh. What the fuck happened?”

“Looks like our friends from town got the drop on us. I heard the professor out there talking to them. He was in on it the whole time.” He looked Riley over for more injuries and then hugged her. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just gotta get my sea legs back is all.” She stood with Dean’s help as she tried to regain her balance. He took her face in his hands and examined the large bruise where she had been struck. She winced.

“I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch.” Dean could feel his blood boiling knowing someone had hit her.

“Dean…where are we?”

“I don’t know. Some kind of cellar? I think we’re back in town, and I’m pretty sure they’re planning to kill us. Well…‘sacrifice us’. That just sounds classier doesn’t it?”

“Oh, good,” Riley said as her fingers felt the warmth from her bruise. “I was hoping this week was gonna be interesting.”

Dean chuckled. “Careful what you wish for, honey.” There were people gathering outside the door and whispering. “Riley, we gotta find that sacred tree and burn it. It’s the only way we’re gonna stop this thing.”

The cellar doors swung open and four of the townspeople stood looking back at the couple. Armed with guns they forced them outside. Riley came out first and the Sheriff used the tip of his gun to push her in the right direction to keep moving.

“You hurt her, and I swear to god–” Dean tried to finish his sentence as another fist came flying at his face.

——

They had been led back into the orchard and tied to apple trees with their hands tied above their heads. Scotty, the Jorgeson’s, the Sheriff, and the professor stood over them. Guns aimed at them in case they attempted to escape.

Looking up at them, Dean couldn’t keep his mouth shut.  **“So how many people have you killed, Sheriff? How many cars have you hidden, or clothes have you buried?”**

Mrs. Jorgeson looked at the bound hunter. “Our crops are already failing. This has to be done. The good of the many, outweighs the good of the few.” They all began to walk away.

**“I hope your apple pie was friggin’ worth it!”** Dean yelled.

Both of them struggled to find a way to release the ropes. Riley tried to reach her head down in an attempt to gnaw at them but couldn’t reach. She looked around and then back at Dean. “Those bastards even took the knife I kept in my boot. Man, that was my lucky one too.” Riley looked out at the field. “It’s almost sundown. What’s the plan?”

He wiggled and grunted as he fought to loosen the ropes.  **“I’m working on it.”**

——

The sun had set, and the darkness crawled through the orchard. Riley sat still realizing she couldn’t untie herself and looked over at Dean. “How’s that plan going, genius?”

Dean was scanning the area, hoping the Vanir wasn’t nearby.  **“I’m working on it.”** He couldn’t see the post. “Can you see it? Is he moving yet?”

She extended her neck trying to get a better view and then sighed. “No. I can’t see anything.”

There was a noise behind them. Twigs were snapping and the sound of someone coming towards them grew louder. Riley and Dean both stayed quiet and worked again to try to get out of their restraints. There was no way to know what was creeping up on them.

“Dean?” Sam came around the tree and both sighed heavily with relief.

**“Oh my god. I take back everything I said. I’m so happy to see you.”** Dean closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath as his brother began to untie him.  **“How’d you get here?”**

Sam gave an awkward smirk and answered,  **“I uh–I stole a car.”**

Riley laughed. “HA! Who’s the delinquent  _ now _ ?”

**“Keep an eye on that scarecrow, Sam. It could come alive at any minute.”** Dean was finally untied and grunted as he pulled his hands free. He ran to Riley and worked to get her off the tree.

Looking back, Sam saw an empty post with its ropes swaying.  **“What scarecrow?”**

“Sammy, help me get her out, we gotta go!” They both worked at different ends as fast as they could and finally pulled the rope from around her. Dean grabbed her hand and hoisted her to her feet as they all ran.

“So, we’re looking for a _ tree _ in an  _ apple orchard? _ ” Sam asked with sarcasm.

“Yeah. It’s sacred; the source of its power. We gotta burn it.” Riley tried to keep her breathing steady as they kept up the pace.

**“In the morning.”** Dean was ready to get out of there.  **“Let’s just shag ass before Leather Face catches up.”**

“Oh, and Sam?” Riley added. “If we live, remind me to kick your ass for ditching me.” He let out a small laugh as they continued to run.

Lights came from every direction as the townspeople shined their flashlights on the escaped sacrifices. They had surrounded them, and Dean put his arms out in an attempt to shield Riley. The pagans cocked their guns and closed in on them, as a growling came from nearby.

“You don’t have to do this. We can help you,” Riley said looking at Mr. Jorgeson.

His gun was raised as he spoke.  **“It’ll be over quickly. I promise. You have to let him take you.”** As he finished his sentence, a rusty sickle blade came through his chest. The remaining pagans ran to save themselves. Mrs. Jorgeson screamed as her husband fell to the ground beside her. The Vanir grabbed her around her neck and dug his weapon into Jorgeson’s leg. Using it as an anchor, the creature dragged his body away as he held onto the woman. She wailed in fear as they disappeared into the fog.

——

The next morning, there were birds singing as the sun flooded the field. Sam, Dean and Riley walked back into the orchard. The youngest Winchester was carrying a container of gasoline. All the while, Finn was taking in all the incredible smells as he trailed along. A squirrel ran by and he chased it through the nearby trees.

They soon stumbled upon a tree that seemed different from the rest. It was thicker and darker than the rest. As they took a closer look, carved ancient symbols ran up its trunk. Knowing they had found the right tree, Sam poured the contents of the container over the tree wherever he could reach.

Dean lit the end of a long stick with his lighter and touched it to the doused trunk of the tree. The fire spread and slowly rose up. It crackled as it burned the wood as it destroyed the evil within it. Soon, all that could be seen were the rising flames.

——

Riley walked out of the motel room and towards the Impala. She put her guitar case and bag in and motioned for Finn to get in the back. The two brothers were waiting by the car.

“What do you think will happen to the people back in Burkittsville?” Sam asked.

“I guess they just get away with it.” Dean shrugged.  **“What will happen to the town now will have to be punishment enough.”**

“So, Sam…” Riley looked up at her friend. “Are we gonna be dropping you off somewhere or…?” She gave him a smile with an innocent look that made him laugh.

“Nah. Looks like you guys are stuck with me.” He threw his arm around her and kissed her head.

Dean was surprised at his brother. **“You changed your mind?”**

**“No. I still wanna find dad, and you’re still a pain in the ass.”** He smirked. “But Jess, mom, Deb…all of them, they’re all gone.” Sam squeezed tighter around Riley knowing she would be hurting at his words.  **“Dad is god knows where.** But the three of us? We’re all that’s left.” He paused and searched for the words.  **“So, if we’re gonna see this through, we’re gonna do it together.”**

**“Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful.”** Dean reached out to touch Sam’s shoulder and feigned a sniffle as he mocked his baby brother. His brow bone was swollen and bruised but his sarcasm never rested. Riley gave him a soft punch to the arm and Sam chuckled.

**“You should be kissing my ass right now,”** Sam joked at Dean.  **“You both were dead meat, dude.”**

**“Yeah, right. I had a plan. I would’ve gotten us out.”**

Letting out a sarcastic laugh Riley turned to her boyfriend. “Oh, yeah. That plan was working out  _ real _ well too, babe.”

“Hey,” Dean pointed at her. “That’s enough outta you.” She rolled her eyes at him in a teasing manner as they all got in the car.

Dean turned the key as the engine roared beneath them. Fixing his rear-view mirror, he saw Riley with her arm around Finn. She seemed more herself that day and had that twinkle in her eye that he loved so much.

He turned to Sam and they looked at each other. “We good?”

“Yeah. We’re good.”

Even with John still missing, it was like the world had stopped turning. Dean felt real contentment rush over him, and everything else washed away. As Sam and Riley laughed over a joke, he smiled. They had made their own family together over the last few months and for just a moment, he couldn’t be happier.

Riley felt real joy illuminate from Dean. The kind that was enough to fill your spirit and bring you back to life. She looked at him as he soaked up the moment and smiled.

“Where to next, Captain?”

——

  
  



	6. Chapter 6 - "Faith"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a desperate attempt to save Dean after a hunt gone wrong, Sam and Riley find a faith healer. They soon find out, there is always a price for a life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: language and violence
> 
> DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.

****Sam’s eyes shot open. The room was dark and quiet. Only Dean’s soft snores broke through the silence.

The nightmare of Jess’ death still found its way into his sleeping mind. It didn’t get less terrifying or painful as time went on. Each time felt like he was back to the night he watched her die. Sam faced the digital clock his way.

2:56 AM. He sighed.

A soft tune came through the motel room. Sam looked to the other bed and Riley wasn’t in her usual spot with Dean. Rubbing his eyes, he removed the covers and went to investigate. As he walked through the room he realized it was coming from outside.

Sam opened the door as quietly as he could as to not wake his brother. Stepping outside, he saw Riley sitting cross-legged against the motel wall under the window. She had her guitar in her lap and the tune was soft as she tickled the strings. Finn laid at her side. He was always soothed by her music.

She turned as she heard the door. “Sam.” Riley smiled. “Oh, no. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No. Not at all. Do you mind if I join you?”

“Of course.” She patted the ground beside her. He slid down the wall and sat beside her. “So you had a nightmare, huh?”

“How did you know that?”

“I can read–“

Sam interrupted, “–read minds. Right.” They chuckled. “What about you?”

“Eh, I’m more _avoiding_ the nightmares. Between both of the recurring ones, I get nervous to go to sleep.” She strummed the guitar lightly.

“Yeah. I know the feeling.” Sam paused and listened to her pick the strings. “Who taught you to play?”

“Well, uh– I did. Dad and I were so close when I was growing up and we were on the road a lot together after I was about eleven years old. _But_ he didn’t let me go on most hunts with him, so I was alone a lot.” Riley continued her melody as she spoke. “One time, dad snuck me into a local bar to hear a band play. Music was our thing. Turned out he was there to get intel on the guitar player. He seemed to be having issues with an old groupie that happened to be a witch.” Sam laughed.

“Anyways, the guy was so grateful to my dad and heard how much I loved music. He gave me his guitar and told me it was good luck. So, whenever dad was gone, I used all my spare time learning.” She patted the base of the guitar. “It’s been with me ever since.”

“Man, I can’t imagine not having Dean growing up. We were lonely even with the two of us.”

Riley’s face saddened. “Yeah. Growing up in this life is never easy. You two are so lucky to have had each other.”

Sam and Riley always had a bond from the beginning. Their friendship was effortless and both felt the other understood them. They had a connection that neither understood. But they counted themselves lucky to have found it.

“You know, I always wanted to learn guitar, but never had the opportunity.

A grin grew on her face as she handed Sam the guitar. “No time like the present.” Sam scoffed as he pulled it into his lap. “Ok, so this is the fretboard. Support the neck and use the tip of your middle finger here. Your pointer here, and then your ring finger here.” She placed his fingers in the right spots.

“Like this?”

“Yup. Now give her a strum.” He did as instructed and an on key tune came from the instrument. Sam let out a small breathy laugh. “Congratulations, Winchester. You just played a G major open chord.”

“I have no idea what that means. But that’s pretty cool!”

Riley laughed. “Baby steps, Samuel.” She shifted herself into a more comfortable position and continued her lesson with a smile. “Ok, next chord…”

——

The next night, the hunters pulled up to an old abandoned house. Their hunt for a Rawhead led them there. The shack was barely holding together and looked like it could collapse at any moment. An owl hooted and it softly echoed in the distance.

Dean popped the trunk and rifled through it looking for the proper tools. He grabbed a taser gun, charged it and handed it to Sam before getting another for himself. “100,000 volts. Should do the trick.”

Riley stood by the trunk and held the flashlight for them. “You sure this is gonna work?”

“Absolutely. **I want this Rawhead extra crispy. Remember Sam, you only get one shot with these. Make it count.** ” He turned to the auburn-haired woman beside him. “Sure you don’t wanna stay with the car, Rye?”

“‘ _Rye?_ ’ That’s new.”

Sam eyed his brother and they chuckled. “Nah. We’ve called you that forever behind your back. We just are saying it to your face now.” Dean gave a goofy grin.

She chuckled. “Well alright then. Oh, and Dean? I was hunting long before I met you two. Don’t you _dare_ try to put training wheels on me.”

Sam laughed softly as Dean made a face that showed he realized his mistake. He closed the trunk and turned on the other flashlight. “Alright, let’s go.”

Inside the shack, they found the door that led to the basement. Rawheads tended to hide in dark and wet places. If they were gonna find it or the missing kids, it was gonna be down there.

As they walked down the old wooden stairs, Dean led the way. Their taser guns were up and they vigilantly looked around covering each other’s backs.

The basement was damp and there was a smell of mold. The sound of water was dripping from every angle. Reaching the bottom, they turned in all directions as they searched. The three stopped when a sound came from a large, old cupboard that sat across the room. The water splashed under their steps as they eased in its direction. Dean mouthed to his partners, _“…one…two…three.”_

They swung the cupboard doors open and a small boy and girl sat terrified hiding inside. Riley reached her hand out. “It’s okay. It’s okay. We’re here to help you.” The little girl took her hand and her brother followed. Getting down to their level she instructed them, “take your sister’s hand and don’t let go. We’re gonna get you out of here.” He nodded and did as he was told.

Riley began to head back up the steps with the children, while Sam and Dean stayed ready to fire protecting them. They moved cautiously trying not to provoke anything that might be dwelling in the dark. As they reached the top, a hand came out from under the stairs and grabbed Sam by the ankle. He fell and tumbled down the steps.

“Sam!” Dean jumped to off the side of the steps and aimed his gun in the direction of the creature. He fired with purpose as the Rawhead roared in pain. “Sam, get them out of here!” Throwing Dean the other taser gun, he ran up the steps following behind Riley.

“Go, go! Run!”

The basement had gone quiet as Dean was left alone with the monster. He waited for any sign of its movement and grew tired of its games. “Come on…” he said in frustration.

Coming out from behind stored objects, the Rawhead lunged at Dean and sent him flying against the wall. He landed in one of the large puddles on the floor filled with inches of water. The taser had landed away from him and he threw himself in its direction. He stumbled into another puddle of water and grabbed his weapon. As soon as it was back in his hand, Dean fired at the Rawhead and it hit the creature in the chest. Little did he know, it was standing in the same large pool of water as he was. The electrical current met the water and found its way to Dean. The shocks ran through him as his body stiffened and spasmed in response. He groaned in pain and his teeth clenched together as the shock continued. Finally, the charge had run out. The Rawhead thudded to the floor and Dean’s eyes rolled back as he went unconscious.

Running back down the stairs, Riley hit the ground and frantically looked for the man she had left behind. “Dean?” She turned around a pile of stacked objects to see him lying still in a puddle. “Oh my god,” she whispered as the air seemed to leave her lungs. The room began to spin and there was a sharp pain in her chest. She grabbed at the stabbing feeling and hurried through the water to his side.

“Dean! Dean!” She fell to the floor and pulled him into her lap as she tapped his face again and again. “Honey? You gotta wake up. Babe! Wake up!” There was panic in her voice as he didn’t move and she could feel him fading away. Riley sobbed as she thought of being without him made her want to die. “SAM!” she screamed. The sound came from her gut and exploded in the air in agony.

The youngest Winchester came barreling down the stairs after securing the kids in the car. He saw the couple together and ran to their side. “No, no, no, no, no. Dean! Open your eyes!”

——

Monitors beeped and a small tv played as Dean scanned through the channels. The smell of the sanitized hospital was overpowering. There were dark circles around his eyes that made it look like death was waiting around the corner. It seemed as though there were moments where he fought to get a full breath.

“Ugh. **The fabric softener teddy bear. I wanna hunt that little bitch down**.”

Riley feigned a smile at a joke that, any other day, would leave her in stitches. But she just sat at his side holding his free hand in both of hers. She fought to keep herself together for Dean’s sake, though inside she was breaking.

Sam walked in as his head hung. He wiped his eyes hoping no one saw him.

Turning to his presence she asked with anxiety, “what did they say?”

He took a deep breath and raised his head to look her in the eyes. A tear ran down her face as she felt the heartbreak that Sam carried with him.

“The doctors… they uh–“ he ran his hand to scratch his head trying to find the words. “They said it was a massive heart attack. There’s been too much damage to his heart.” Sam cleared his throat feeling like he was going to vomit and sob all at once answering her question.

A heart attack? Was she feeling the remnants of his pain when she found him? Riley had accepted that her ability made her feel emotional pain, but this was new.

Her voice was full of pain as it trembled. “…so what does that mean?”

“…means I’m not gonna make it, sweetheart.” Dean squeezed her hand and looked her way.

She fought with everything she had to respond. “…what?”

“The doctors said that they’ve done all they can. That they’re gonna make him comfortable.” Sam swallowed hard. “But uh– they said he has a few weeks; maybe a month.”

Riley had been on the brink of a breakdown since she lost Deb. She had been hanging on by a thread because she had the boys to keep her going. At that moment, she was forced to imagine a world without Dean and it was one she didn’t want to be in. “But–there’s gotta be something they can do. Some kind of treatment.”

Dean shook his head. “This is it, Rye. You guys are gonna have to leave without me.”

“Like hell we are!” Riley barked.

“And you,” he said pointing at Sam. **“You, better take care of that car. If you don’t, I’m gonna haunt your ass.”**

Sam scoffed as the urge to cry came back to him. **“That’s not funny.”**

**“Look, it’s a dangerous job. I drew the short straw. That’s it. End of story.”**

“No, there are other options. There have to be. We’re–“

Dean interrupted his brother, **“the only options left are burial or cremation.”** Sam and Riley were stunned. **“I’m gonna die. There’s nothing you can do about it.”** Dean looked up as his girlfriend’s eyes flooded. Anger bubbled over inside of her and her face showed it.

“Fucking watch me.” She got up in frustration and her chair squealed on the floor beneath her. Riley whipped around and marched out of the room.

Finding an empty part of the hospital hallway, she pulled out her phone and found John’s number. She sniffled and cleared her throat as the line rang.

_“You’ve reached John Winchester. If this is an emergency, call my son Dean at 785-555-2476.”_

As she heard the tone she did her best to pull herself together. “Hey, John. It’s Riley. I uh…I know we haven’t talked since dad died. Hell, you probably won’t even get this message.” She sniffled. “But, it’s Dean. He’s sick.” Riley’s voice began to break with every word. “The doctors say there’s nothing they can do. But, they don’t know what we do huh?” She released a breathy laugh and then paused. “John, your boys need you. Please. _Please_. Call me back, or call Sam. I–I just thought you should know.”

Ending the call as she closed the phone, she began to cry. She stood against the wall with her head back and her hand covering her mouth. A silent sob released itself and took hold of her.

——

Back at the motel, it felt as though all hope had died. Sam and Riley already felt like they were already mourning Dean. Neither were dealing with it well either.

Sam had gone for a walk trying to clear his head; though it didn’t work. He got to the motel door as the neon lights that hung above the roof glowed on his face. Opening the door, his eyes immediately went to Riley. She was sitting against the wall with her knees up in front of her. There was a bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand that she drank straight out of. She swallowed hard as the whiskey burned her throat.

Taking off his jacket, Sam threw it on the bed. No words were spoken as he sat next to her. She offered him the bottle. He took it in his hand and took a large swig. Sam didn’t drink much so he seethed through his teeth. He gave it back and she took another drink. The silence continued. The only sound was the faded traffic in the background. Finn was lying on the bed watching over Riley.

“What are we gonna do, Sam?”

He sighed. “I really don’t know.”

“I shouldn’t even _be_ here right now. I should be with _him_. The damn hospital wouldn’t let me stay.” There was a moment of silence. “I just don’t–” Riley’s voice broke and tears fell from her red eyes. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do without him.” The smell of whiskey weighed heavy on her breath.

Sam wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close. He sniffled and held back his crying the best he could. “That’s not gonna happen okay?” He cleared his throat and fought the stinging in his eyes. “We’re gonna find a way to make it right.”

“You saw him, Sam. You saw how sick he is.” She wiped her eyes. “I spent every moment I’ve had researching any possible lead. I even called a witch friend I have and begged for her help. She said there was nothing she could do. I’m completely out of options at this point.” Riley took another drink from the bottle as her tears mixed with the alcohol.

“You and I both know we aren’t letting him go without a fight. If you’re in this with me, we’ll do whatever it takes.”

The tears fell once again as she spoke, “I love him, Sam. I love him so much.”

Pulling her in close again, a tear betrayed him and fell down his cheek. “I know, Rye. Me too.”

——

Sam sat on the motel bed with Finn. The golden retriever had made a bond with him from the beginning and he could feel Sam was in pain. Doing what he could to help, he laid his head in his lap while the young hunter made every phone call possible. He was desperate to find someone to help his brother.

There was a sound at the door and it shot open. Riley had shoved it as Dean leaned onto her and she held him steady.

His eyes widened and Sam shot off the bed and ran to help. “What the _hell_ is going on? Riley! Why did you let him leave the hospital?”

“ _Let him?_ ” she scoffed. “I fought him the whole way. Stubborn ass won’t listen.”

Dean let out a laugh. “Why stay there? My girlfriend is way hotter than those nurses.” He gave her a mischievous smile. “Besides, what little time I have left, I’m not wasting it in a damn hospital.” He laid down on the closest bed as they guided him.

Sam pulled up a chair and sat looking at his big brother. “For the record? I don’t buy this “laugh in the face of death” crap for a second.” Dean rolled his eyes. “Anyways, **I scoured the internet for three days and called every one of dad’s contacts.** ”

“Why?” Dean looked perplexed.

“To find someone that can help you. And one guy, Joshua, actually called me back. He told me about a specialist in Nebraska.”

“Great!” Riley’s tune changed. “Let’s get going!” She immediately went to start packing everyone’s bags.

“You guys just aren’t gonna let me die in peace are you?” Dean asked.

Sam looked him in the eye. “We’re not gonna let you _die at all_.”

——

Sam, Riley, and Dean checked into the local motel in Ford City, Nebraska, and dropped off Finn. Riley drove her family in the Impala towards their destination. She had always wanted to drive but was always too afraid to ask. Getting to hit the road with Baby was ruined under the circumstances. Although she wouldn’t admit it out loud, she loved the purring of the car beneath her and the leather wheel in her hands.

Dean sat in the front seat, too tired to move. But he watched Riley drive and even with what little strength he had, it made him smile. He trusted her implicitly and had no problem with her behind the wheel. His eyes traveled over her as he watched her run a hand through her hair. Dean always loved the way her favorite leather jacket fit her just right; how her jeans hugged her in all the best places. A devilish smirk grew on his face. “Mmm. You look good in this car, sweetheart. You handle her just right.”

She laughed. “Keep it in your pants, Casanova. Once you’re well, we can have all the fun in Baby that you want.” Glancing his way she gave him a flirty wink.

“Ugh. How about you _both_ keep it in your pants?” Sam groaned, reminding them he was in the backseat.

The rain continued to fall and the scene matched the car’s mood. Dark clouds filled the sky and thunder rolled off in the distance. As they pulled into a dirt lot, that had now had become a field of mud, they saw a large canopy tent. There were a surprising amount of cars parked around it. People walked inside with umbrellas, and most need help to get inside. The large wooden sign outside read: “ _Church of Roy Le Grange, Faith Healer. Come and witness the miracle!_ ”

As the car parked, Dean opened his door and struggled to get out. Sam ran to his side and tried to help him out. “I’m fine! …wait.” He read the sign. “ **You lying bastard. You said we were going to see a doctor.** Instead, you take me to a guy who heals people in a fucking tent.” Dean used all his strength to trudge through the mud and let it be known how annoyed he was. Riley was hooked to his arm and guided him on.

A woman overheard as she passed by and said, **“Roy Le Grange is a great man!”**

Dean looked back at her with a look of “ _who asked you._ ” “Yeah, ok. That’s nice.” His eyes rolled. “But c’mon, Sam. A faith healer?”

**“Well, maybe it’s time to have a little faith.”**

**“I** **_have_ ** **faith. In** **_reality._ ** **”**

Sam wasn’t about to give up. “Dean, how can you be a skeptic after everything we’ve seen? **How can you know that real evil exists and not believe there can be some good?** ”

“The Lord works in mysterious ways,” Riley added with sarcasm. It was enough to get a breathy laugh out of Dean.

Entering the tent, they saw it was nearly a full house. Wooden chairs sat on both sides of a set aisle-way and there were few left. Church organ music swept through the air. Upon looking closer, most of the people in attendance were all of poor health. Some had oxygen tanks with them as they took slow breaths. There were men and women with canes, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs. Others were frail and old, or obviously pale and sick. Dean couldn’t help but wonder where the hell his brother had dragged him to.

They began to walk down the aisle to find seating and Dean noticed there were cameras up in every corner of the tent. **“Oh, yeah. Peace, love and trust all over,”** he said snarkily. He went to lead Riley to a seat towards the back but Sam stopped him.

“C’mon there are some seats up front.”

Dean huffed in annoyance as Riley turned their direction towards Sam. They sat two rows from the front and had the oldest Winchester seated closest to the aisle. Both Riley and Sam were on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if this would be the miracle they were hoping for.

An older man with white hair was guided onto the stage. He was dressed in his “Sunday best” and wore dark sunglasses. It was obvious he was blind, but he was smiling from ear to ear. His wife was at his side with sandy blonde hair and a soft colored suit. As Sam watched the preacher take his place on stage, he noticed a strange looking cross on a table behind him. The preacher began his sermon.

 **“Each morning, my wife Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good does it?”** The crowd mumbled in agreeance. **“But I say to you, God is watching. He rewards the good and punishes the corrupt.”** Roy paused. **“It’s the Lord that does the healing here, my friends.”**

Dean couldn’t help but feel like they were wasting their time. He was only there to appease the people he loved. “ _Man, this guy is just full of it_ ,” he thought.

Riley turned to look at him after hearing his thoughts and whispered to him. “Just give it a chance.” Closing his eyes, he tried to muster up what patience he had left as she held his hand.

The preacher went on. **“The Lord will guide me in choosing who to heal, by helping me see into people’s hearts.”** The congregation let out an “amen” in unison.

Turning his head towards his girlfriend and brother, Dean spoke out of the side of his mouth. **“Yeah, or into their wallets.”**

Roy heard his every word and smiled. **“You think so, young man?”**

The tent went quiet in shock over what Dean had said and he instantly realized he said more than he should have. “Sorry.”

 **“No, no. Don’t be. Just watch what you say around a blind man. We got real sharp ears,”** he joked and Dean was surprisingly amused. **“What’s your name, son?”**

He cleared his throat. “Dean.”

 **“Dean. I want you to come up here with me.”** The audience clapped and cheered him on.

This was exactly what Dean was afraid of. He hesitated and smiled saying, **“no, it’s okay.”**

 **“What are you doing?”** Sam leaned over shocked and frustrated.

 **“You came here to be healed, haven’t you?”** Roy was not about to let Dean deny the opportunity.

Dean looked up at him awkwardly, **“well yeah, but uh– maybe you should just pick someone else.”**

 **“Oh, I didn’t pick you, Dean. The Lord did.”** The congregation continued to clap and cheer with shouts of “amen”.

 **“Get up there!”** Sam pushed in earnest and Riley nudged his side.

Getting up, Dean mumbled under his breath, **_“this is ridiculous.”_ ** He walked up onto the stage as Sue Ann smiled at him and he stood in front of Roy. **“Look, no disrespect, but I’m not exactly a believer.”**

 **“You will be, son. You will be.”** Roy’s smile grew as his faith lead him on. **“Pray with me, friends.”** The people of the church lifted their hands towards the stage as Roy raised his towards Dean. He put a hand on his head and not a moment had passed before Dean began to feel strange. His legs got weak and his eyes were heavy as he fell to his knees. As the prayer continued, something rushed through Dean and he collapsed to the floor. The congregation cheered and yelled, “hallelujah!”

“Dean!” Riley and Sam ran towards the stage and tried to wake him. Gasping for air and his eyes wide, Dean came out of the trance. “Say something!”

As he began to lift his head, Dean saw a figure standing at Roy’s side. It looked like an old man in a suit; his face wrinkled and somewhat grey.

——

Both Riley and Sam insisted that Dean see a doctor afterward. Not knowing if the trance had a negative effect or if he had been healed, they needed answers. Sam paced in the corner.

“Honey, you sure you’re ok?” Riley asked as she rubbed his hand.

“Yeah. I feel fine.” Dean’s face almost looked guilty. He doubted what had happened and why.

The doctor came in and looked over his charts. “Well, there’s no evidence of any heart damage and no sign that there ever was. **Not that a man your age should be having heart problems. But, it’s strange. It does happen.”**

**“What do you mean, ‘strange’?”**

**“Well just yesterday, a young guy like you – 27, athletic – out of nowhere, he has a heart attack.”**

Dean’s face turned to concern as he replied, “thanks, doc.” Once they were alone, he turned to the others. “That’s odd, don’t you think?” His tone was condescending and unsure.

**“Maybe it’s just a coincidence. People’s hearts give out all the time.”**

**“No, they don’t, Sam.”**

**“Look, Dean, do really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can’t we just be grateful the guy saved your life and move on?”** Sam was relieved. His brother was healthy again and he wasn’t about to let anything take away that good news.

 **“Because I can’t shake this feeling.”** As he turned to gather his things he continued, **“when I was being healed, it just felt…wrong. I felt cold and for a second I saw this old man standing next to Roy. And I’m telling you, man, it was a spirit.”**

 **“Dean, if there was something there we would have seen it too. I would have seen it. I mean, I’ve been seeing an awful lot of weird stuff lately.** _Riley_ would have felt something.”

Riley sat in a chair in the corner quietly. She could feel how deep Dean’s concern was. He felt like this wasn’t something he deserved; that being healed, was too good for him. But more than that, that something was very wrong over at Roy Le Grange’s. She stood and walked over to him as she placed a hand on his back and looked up at him. “Is your gut telling you that there’s more to this?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

She exhaled sharply. “Ok, so what do you wanna do, honey?”

“I want us to go talk to Le Grange. Sam, you go check out that guy who had the heart attack.” He kissed her temple and whispered, “thank you for hearing me.”

——

The Le Grange’s house sat on the same grounds as the tent. There was nothing for miles and it was like they had built a world of their own. Sue Ann poured lemonade for her guests. Dean and Riley sat in chairs beside each other across from the reverend.

“You know, I feel great. I really do. **I’m just trying to make sense of what happened.”** Dean gave a half smile to Riley as he spoke to the married couple.

Sue Ann let out a soft chuckle. **“A miracle is what happened. They happen so often around Roy.”** She smiled at her husband and patted his hand lovingly.

Knowing that she trusted Dean’s instincts, Riley was willing to go along him. She was just so happy that she wasn’t going to lose him. Anything he could ask of her would be easy to give him. “When did all the miracles start happening, Roy?”

“Well, I woke up one morning completely blind. Doctors found I had cancer and gave me maybe a month. So we prayed for a miracle. Even when I was too weak to, Sue Ann kept on praying.” His wife smiled at him as he spoke. “I went into a coma and they told her I wasn’t going to wake up, but I did. And the cancer? It was gone. If it wasn’t for my eyes, no one would even know that I was ever sick.”

Dean was curious to know what he had to say. “And suddenly you could heal people?”

“I found out about it after it all. The Lord just continues to bless me.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to ask you one last question, Roy.”

“Of course.”

“…why? Why me?”

That same friendly smile stayed on Le Grange’s face as he looked at Dean. **“The Lord, he let me see into your heart.”**

“…and what did you see?”

“A young man with great purpose; who’s job wasn’t finished yet.”

Riley had sat and listened as they talked. She waited to pick up on something negative or worrisome coming from Roy, but she didn’t. His heart was kind and he truly believed that Dean had been worth saving; that God had a divine plan for him. Roy knew Dean was something special. And as she picked up on his thoughts and feelings, she looked over at the man she loved and breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to be okay.

——

Dean opened the motel door for Riley and she went inside as he followed her. Sam was sitting at a table in front of his laptop. His head was in his hands but he looked up when he heard the door.

Finn hurried to Riley’s side with his tail wagging in excitement. She squatted down to kiss his head. Feeling some hope for the first time in what felt like forever, she smiled in contentment. She stood and looked at Sam, “hey! How was your afternoon?” Riley stopped as she realized an emotion hurling her way and hitting her chest. It was guilt. That seemed to be going around a lot lately with the Winchesters.

“I’m sorry,” Sam whispered and waited for his brother.

That concern that Dean had been feeling welled up inside him. “What do you mean?”

“I looked into the guy with the heart attack, like you said. Apparently, Marshall Hall was a really healthy guy; always active. The instructor there said that he was terrified and said something was chasing him. But no one else saw anything.” Sam gathered his courage to keep talking. “Marshall…died at 4:17. The clock at the gym had frozen.”

 **“…the exact time I was healed.”** Dean had sat on the edge of the bed with his legs somewhat spread and his hands folded between them. He knew it all was too good to be true and was trying to prepare himself for what else Sam had found.

Riley sat at the table without a word and patiently listened. She was feeling physically sick over the palpable guilt that was flooding the room. There was a heavy weight on her shoulders as she carried the burden of their emotions.

“There’s more.” Sam rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and continued. “I put together a list of the people Roy has healed in the last year. There were six and I cross-checked them with the local obits. When someone was healed, someone else died. Each of the victims died of the same thing that Roy was healing at the time.” His voice was full of remorse and sorrow.

**“So, someone gets cured from cancer, but then someone else dies of cancer. He’s trading one life for another.”**

“…yeah.”

Dean’s guilt swelled inside him and he knew someone paid the ultimate price for him to get well. Standing up in a huff he turned to Sam. “So Marshall Hall died to save me. You never should have brought me here. He’s dead because of _me._ ”

Riley adjusted in her seat so she could look at Dean. “Sweetheart, you don’t know that. It looks like Marshall was the chosen target. He probably would have died when Roy saved someone else. You can’t blame yourself.”

_“I wasn’t fucking worth saving, They should have just let me die.”_

Hearing Dean’s thoughts were like daggers to her heart. He really believed he didn’t matter and that his life was less valuable than others. To her? His life was more precious than he could ever know.

Sam sat quietly waiting for his brother to unleash his anger that he felt he had earned. He carried the guilt for them both knowing that taking him to Le Grange lead them here.

Riley squeezed the back of the chair in her hands trying not to scream at them both. The constant shame and self-loathing they felt drove her insane. How did they not see the world was a better place because of them? The boys were just too stubborn and set in the belief that they would never be enough.

 **“But I don’t understand,”** Sam said. **“How is Roy doing it?”**

 **“Oh, he’s not the one doing it. Something is doing it for him.”** Dean leaned on the table and hung his head. “ **I had a feeling when I saw that old man on the stage with us. There’s only one thing that has the power to take and give life like that. I didn’t wanna believe it but deep down I knew it.”** He paused. **“We’re dealing with a reaper.”**

“Wait, like ‘comes to collect your soul’, reaper? Like the _Grim_ Reaper?” Riley’s eyebrow arched and she wondered what the hell they had gotten themselves into. Then she thought back to earlier when they spoke to Roy. It didn’t make any sense. The preacher gave nothing but love and positivity in the room. She felt it. No one could be a loving person and do that. It didn’t add up.

 **“Not** **_the_ ** **reaper.** **_A_ ** **reaper. There’s lore on them from pretty much every culture. It’s definitely possible there’s more than one.”**

Sam leaned on his hand as his elbow sat on the table. **“Dean, you said you saw some dude in a suit.”**

“What? He has to be working the whole ‘black-robe thing’? **…look, you said it yourself that the clock stopped right? …reapers stop time. And you can only see them when they’re coming at you which is why I could see it and you couldn’t.”**

**“Ok, so say you’re right. How is Roy controlling it?”**

“Guys,” Riley jumped in. “I don’t think it’s Roy. I really don’t. Yes, something is definitely using this _thing_ to play God, but I felt him when we were in the room with him. It’s not him.”

“Rye, you can’t know that for sure,” Dean replied.

“Dean, I’m sure of it. It’s not _him_.” She always supported him. Why didn’t he believe her?

Sam had a realization. **“The cross. I noticed this weird cross in the church tent. I knew I had seen it before.”** He shuffled through a deck of tarot cards and pulled one out. He chuckled as he saw it and handed it to Dean and Riley leaned over to look. There was a picture of a skeleton in a robe and a crown. It had a staff in its hands and at the top, was the same symbol.

“A tarot? You gonna read our fortune, Sam?” Riley asked.

He laughed through a scoff. “It makes sense. Tarot dates all the way back to the early Christian era. That was back when priests were still using black magic and got into all kinds of dark stuff. Things like necromancy and how to push death away or even how to cause it.”

Dean flipped the card in his fingers. “So, someone is using black magic to bind a reaper and is using it through Roy?”

“Well, if that is what’s happening they’re playing with something they don’t understand. **It’s like trying to keep a great white on a leash.”**

“So how do we stop it?” Riley got up and poured a glass of water from the small kitchen in the motel room. She took a drink and leaned against the counter.

“Well,” Sam looked at her. “If someone is using dark magic to hold the reaper, we have to figure out what it is and how to break it. That’s the only way.”

“Alright. Well, looks like it’s time to stop death, boys.” They both stared at her perplexed. “What? We’ve said weirder things.”

——

Driving back through the mud on the grounds of the church, Dean pulled the Impala to a halt and parked. It felt so good to be back in the driver’s seat. “Ok, so if someone’s using a spell, then there might be a spellbook. Sam, you go to the house and Riley and I will try and stall. There’s a service in 15 minutes.”

As they walked from the car, there was a man handing out flyers, who was there in protest. “Roy Le Grange is a fraud! He’s no healer!”

Dean took a flyer as he walked by and said, “amen, brother.”

As Riley walked ahead a bit to get out of the rain, Dean grabbed Sam’s jacket and pulled him to the side. “Riley doesn’t wanna believe it’s Roy, but I do.”

“Me, too.”

“Okay, so go get proof and we’ll handle it.” He patted his little brother’s shoulder.

Sam snuck behind the sea of cars and made his way to the house as the others headed into the tent.

——

Roy Le Grange’s tent was packed just as much as it was before. The constant rain didn’t seem to stop any of the church members from coming to the service.

Riley and Dean stood to the side and watched as everyone settled in. Both were on edge and worried they weren’t going to be able to prevent the death of another victim. Hearing his cell phone ring, Dean stepped aside to find a quieter place as Sam’s ID showed on the screen. “What’d you find?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“Dean, Roy’s choosing victims that he sees as immoral. Remember the protester outside of the tent? His name’s David. I think he’s next. I gotta go find him. Don’t let Roy heal anyone, okay?”

Hanging up the phone, Dean made his way back to his waiting companion. “Sam find anything yet?”

“Not sure. He thinks so.”

Roy stepped up to the stage and his arms stretched out. His next “miracle” was being chosen. **“Layla. Layla Rourke. Come up here, child.”** The crowd burst into cheers and applause as a young blonde woman stood with excitement. Her mother hugged her and grinned from ear to ear hearing her daughter’s name called. Layla walked towards the stage and headed up the steps.

“What are we gonna do, Dean? We can’t let him go through with this.” Riley was scared they wouldn’t be able to stop the “healing”. Yet her heart broke for the woman who only wanted to be well again.

The congregation prayed with Roy. He raised his hands out again towards his flock and they returned the gesture. As he was going to lay hands on Layla, Dean began to yell, “FIRE! The tent’s on fire! Everybody get out!”

Panic began to spread through the tent as everyone reacted to the shouting. They all hurried to evacuate, and Layla’s healing was stopped. Roy spoke to his people and told them to remain calm. But poor Layla was left dumbfounded and realized her moment had come and gone.

Dean’s phone rang again and he answered. **“I did it. I stopped Roy.”**

“I think it’s ok. I’m with David. He’s alright.” Through the phone, Dean could hear David begin to yell in terror. Sam couldn’t see anything but the parked cars that surrounded. But he knew what was happening as David slowly fell to the ground as he turned pale and blue. He struggled for breath and his eyes began to fog over. **“Dean! The reaper’s still coming! It didn’t work! Roy must not be the one controlling this thing!”**

As his brother conveyed the events outside, Dean felt shame course through him. He swallowed hard realizing that he hadn’t trusted Riley when he should have.

_“Oh god, she was right.”_

Riley turned as she heard Dean’s thoughts echo through her mind. “What? What do you mean?” He knew she had heard him.

A soft praying came from the corner of the empty tent. Mrs. Le Grange had her back turned as she whispered words in Latin.

**“It’s Sue Ann.”**

Flipping the phone shut, Dean ran in her direction. He took her arm and turned her around, stopping her prayer. She was holding the same cross-like symbol that clung to a chain around her neck. Sue Ann panicked when Dean saw what she was doing and shoved the cross into her top. She began to yell for help where Dean had her cornered. Officers that stood by to help prevent chaos from protestors, rant to her aid and pulled him away.

At the entrance, the two men in uniform drug out an angry hunter. Dean tried to pull from their arms as they reached outside. Sue Ann joined them and spoke in a frail and broken tone. **“I don’t understand, Dean. After everything we’ve done for you. Roy healed you. We’re just very disappointed, Dean.”** He looked at her letting her know he wasn’t buying the act but she continued. **“Let him go, officers. I won’t press charges. God will handle it as he sees fit.”** Mrs. Le Grange took her leave and returned to the tent.

The officers still held on to the eldest Winchester. **“You come back here and we’ll put the fear of God in you, understand?”**

Full of snark and annoyance Dean replied, **“yes, sir. ‘Fear of God.’ Got it.”** They shoved him away and he stumbled to catch his footing as he shot them a glare.

Dean took a calming breath and turned around. Riley stood there waiting for him with her arms crossed and sadness in her face. “Riley, I–”

“You just couldn’t trust me, could you? Neither could Sam apparently. I _told_ you I knew it wasn’t Roy. I told you I could read him. But you sent Sam to find evidence to prove me wrong.” She shook her head and scoffed. “You told me you needed to see this through because your _gut_ told you to. I didn’t question you for a second and stood at your side.”

He felt terrible. Dean knew she wouldn’t have told him what she did unless she was sure. He grew angry with himself for doubting her. His eyes softened and his body calmed. “I’m so sorry. I just had to make sure.”

“Yeah, well…I hope your certainty helped you, Dean.” She walked back towards the Impala with her head hung and didn’t look back.

Sam helped a safe but shaken David to his car and watched his brother with Riley. He knew they had made a mistake.

——

Sam and Dean knew they had messed up. Finn sat on the bed as Riley rummaged through her things. She was calm but obviously angry and never made eye contact. Working efficiently, she put items that belonged to Dean into their rightful bag. Riley picked it up and placed it on the other bed. She then retrieved Sam’s and put it on the same. Dean knew this meant he wouldn’t be sleeping next to her that night.

Without a word, she got out her headphones and headed towards the front door. It shut with a solid slam as she left and the boys jumped at the sound. Riley went to the car and sat in the back with frustration. She knew they would be leaving soon anyway. 

“I think we’re in the dog house, Sammy.”

“Yeah. I think you’re right.”

Dean ran his palm down his face. “She’s right. I should have trusted her. She’s never once questioned me. …dammit. I fucked up.” He paused. “I gotta go talk to her.” As he got up to walk away, Sam grabbed his sleeve.

“We _both_ fucked up, Dean. Let’s just give her some space. She obviously doesn’t want to talk to us right now.”

Dean inhaled deeply and sat back down. “You’re right. You’re right.” He groaned as his head found his palms. “Okay, so did you find anything back at the house?”

“Yeah. There was this book in the study that stood out from the rest. There was dust everywhere except near one. I picked it up and went through it but didn’t find anything. When I went to put it back, I realized something had been hidden behind it.” Sam handed Dean the small book he had found. It was old and filled with Latin and drawings of death itself. “It was written by a priest who went ‘dark side’.” Finn walked up to Sam and nudged his hand to pet him as he went on. “It’s black magic. You would build altars with bones and blood for the spell. _Human_ blood.”

“Wait. Roy was dying and Sue Ann was desperate. What if she was using the spell to keep the reaper away from him when he was sick? She would have done anything to save him,” he said as he skimmed through the pages of the little book. “It was her all along.”

“She was cheating death.”

“Yeah, but Roy’s alive. Why keep using the spell?”

“Now she’s using the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral. The people that died? One was an abortion activist, one an openly gay teacher, David was protesting the church…all of them were ‘deserving of punishment’.”

Dean landed on a page that showed a cross that was the same one he saw on Sue Ann’s necklace and the one that sat in the church tent. “This was the symbol she was wearing. It’s a Coptic cross. Seemed like when she dropped it, the reaper backed off.”

“Maybe it’s tied to the spell somehow.” He took a minute before continuing, “let’s destroy both the cross and the altar. We gotta make sure this stops for good.”

“Well, we better do it fast. Roy is having a private service tonight for the girl he was trying to help earlier.”

They both got up to leave and grabbed their things. Sam said a goodbye to Finn as Dean headed out. When they both stood in front of the motel, they could see Riley alone in the Impala.

“Well, this won’t be an awkward drive at all,” Dean said with sarcasm.

——

Darkness had fallen over the Le Grange property. Cars still filled the field and the tent had a string of soft lights lit around it. The rain still drizzled on the ground and fed the muddy earth beneath Baby.

The hunters looked towards the tent. “Alright,” said Dean. “You guys ready to go?” Sam nodded and Riley kept her focus on the area around them. “…Riley?” Dean turned to his body to look towards the backseat.

She got out of the car and slammed the door without a word. Sam and Dean looked at each other in discomfort before following her.

Peering into the tent, they saw Roy onstage. There was a small group of people standing in front of him with their arms extended. It was meant to be a private healing for Layla, whose moment had been ruined earlier.

“Where’s Sue Ann?” Dean asked. The air was brisk and his breath created a fog as he spoke.

Sam turned his head, “the house I’m guessing.”

“You guys go find her, I’ll catch up.” Before Sam or Riley could respond, Dean had made his way over to the two officers from earlier. They were standing in front of the house. “Hey!” he yelled. **“You gonna put that fear of God in me?”**

Realizing who was talking to them, the two ran in pursuit of the Winchester. Dean turned and ran in the other direction in a full sprint.

Once the officers were occupied, Sam and Riley made their way up the steps to the porch that wrapped around the house. They peered into the windows of the dark home and continued their way around. There was no sign of Sue Ann.

“Psst”, Sam whispered as he pointed down over the railing of the porch.

Riley turned and hurried to his side. As she peered over the edge, she saw a cellar. Through the cracks of the wooden doors, light seeped through. They moved quickly back down the steps and towards the space beneath the house. Sam opened the doors with ease and held them for Riley to go in. He closed them behind them as he followed.

It was fairly dark in the cellar, save for the candles that were lit on one side. Behind a wall of chicken wire, stood the altar.

As Riley walked closer, she could feel a presence. It felt trapped and was angry. Though it didn’t seem to be in the room with them, its energy flowed from the table before them. The wooden counter was splashed with blood. There were another Coptic cross and bones including a human skull. Bird feathers scattered themselves amongst the dark items as the candles flickered. She reached her hand out and picked up a picture. It was Dean. A red “X” had been painted over his face in blood. A shiver ran up her spine as she felt the dark magic at work. Sam walked up behind her and was shocked to see his brother’s picture.

 **“I gave your brother life,”** a voice spoke from behind them. Sam and Riley spun around to see Sue Ann staring back at them. **“…and I can take it away.”**

Anger rushed through Sam as he grabbed the altar and flipped it over. A loud crash came as it hit the concrete floor and as glass broke. Both hunters rushed towards Sue Ann as she closed the cellar door. They grunted and pushed together trying to force open the exit.

Sue Ann held the cellar shut as she slid a piece of wood between the handles. “Don’t you both understand? **The Lord chose me to reward the just and punish the wicked.** And Sam, your brother is _wicked_ . **He deserves to die just as Layla deserves to live. It’s God’s will.”** She stood from her spot on the door and turned to leave.

While Sam did his best to break through the door, Riley saw a small window across the room. She grabbed a long piece of wood and rammed it into the glass. Turning at the noise, Sam joined her as he saw her crawling out. As he attempted to go through the opening, he struggled, but Riley took his hand and helped to pull him out.

“Thanks.”

“No time for that. Sam, go stop Sue Ann. I gotta go find Dean before it’s too late.” They both bolted at full speed in the appropriate direction.

Riley rounded a string of cars and came to a screeching halt when she spotted Dean from a distance. Her breath clouded before her as she slowed her breathing. He was on his knees, groaning in pain. “DEAN!” she yelled as she ran towards him. She moved as fast as her legs would carry her.

The reaper had its hold on Dean and the hunter looked up at the creature as the life began to fade from him. His eyes fogged over and his lips went blue. Dean gasped for air as the reaper began to take his soul.

Skidding through the mud as she went to her knees, Riley held onto Dean and pleaded with him. “Dean! Hold on! Fight him!” She could feel that presence again. But this time, she knew it stood right in front of them.

Meanwhile, Sam had found his way back to the tent. Outside, he saw Sue Ann clutching her necklace and whispering a prayer in Latin. He ripped it from her hands and smashed it on the stony ground. The cross shattered and the blood that had filled it spilled on the rocks. “No!” she shouted.

As Sue Ann stood in front of her shattered charm, she saw the reaper standing ahead of her. He smiled in a malevolent manner knowing he would finally punish her for her mistake. She gasped in fear and shook as she stared back at death.

She turned to flee, but the reaper appeared and they were face to face. His grin continued as he touched her face and she fell weakly to her knees. Sue Ann finally experienced the horror her victims felt as the life drained from her. A final breath escaped her as her corpse crashed to the ground.

In the field, Dean was still catching his breath after his brush with death and slowly came back into focus. Riley had his head in her lap and her hands gripped into his jacket as she clung to him for dear life.

He finally regained his composure and sat up. Dean looked at the beautiful face that looked at him with crying eyes. He grabbed the sides of Riley’s face and crashed his lips into hers. His eagerness to mend the space between them came through the desperate kiss.

Dean pulled away from her still holding her face. “I’m so sorry. I swear, I will never not trust you again.”

She kissed him again, deeply and then locked eyes with him again after they broke apart. “Glad you learned your lesson, dumbass.” They both smiled at each other and Dean let out a chuckle. “Come on,” Riley said as she helped him stand. Dean leaned on her as he gained his footing. They made their way to the car as Sam did the same.

“Did you two make up?” Sam asked as he saw the couple.

Riley eyed him in jest as her eyes squinted in a fake judgment. “Yeah well, you and I still got some shit to work out, Winchester.”

He laughed and put his hands up in a form of surrender. “Fair enough.”

As Riley went to get into the passenger side, Dean stopped her and held out the keys. “If you’re interested, I’d love to see my two favorite girls together again.” He gave her a smirk and raised his eyebrow. Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Taking the keys from Dean’s hand, Riley kissed him before he got into the car. She walked to the other side and slid onto the seat as she closed the door, and Sam settled into the back.

Riley put the key in the ignition and turned it to hear the Impala roar beneath her. She revved the engine and smiled as she finally got to enjoy handling the beautiful car. Dean turned on the stereo as Def Leppard came through. The couple got back into their rhythm of rocking out to a classic song as Sam surrendered and joined in.

They pulled out of the property lot and Dean gave one last look at the church tent in the side mirror. He hated that the sweet girl would never be healed and that her life would probably be cut short. That familiar feeling of guilt sat hard in his stomach.

Riley could feel him and reached her hand to take his. She attempted to send a thought to him as she thought, “ _remember Dean, we can’t “play god.” What is meant to be, will be and you aren’t to blame for that. All I know is, there won’t be a day that I’m not grateful that I get to have you back at my side._ ”

It had worked. Dean was confused and shocked as he heard her voice speaking into his mind. He turned to look at her and saw her smiling. It made sense that the first time she was able to use that part of her ability, happened with the one person she had the most profound bond with. He squeezed her hand and pulled it to his lips to kiss it.

The tent faded into the night as the three hunters tried to leave their worries behind along with it. Baby’s headlights guided them down the road as the music continued to play. All that mattered was the road before them, and that they would be traveling down it together.

——

  



	7. "Nightmare"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Sam has a vision of a mysterious death, the hunters head to Saginaw, Michigan in search of answers. What they find though was bigger than they thought...much bigger.

**Word Count: 8,467**

**Content Warning: language and violence**

**DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.**

The team had put miles behind them from their last stop in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It had been a somewhat awkward encounter when Sam, Dean, and Riley had come into town to help a family. Not just any family, but that of Dean’s old girlfriend, Cassie.

Riley could read Cassie’s thoughts from to time and they made her fists clench. She wanted to knock that woman to the floor knowing how she still thought of Dean. There were memories of them being so passionate as they made love. Not to mention, Cassie still held a torch for him and wished he wasn’t with Riley.

She sat in the front seat, her head leaned against the window. Riley had an annoyed look on her face as she gazed down ahead of them.

It had been mostly silent since they had hit the road. Sam had fallen asleep in the back with Finn. The brave pup had helped them in their last hunt and had worn himself out.

Dean could feel the tension in the car and looked over at his girlfriend. He needed to tell her what had happened before they left, but wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. But they didn’t keep secrets from each other. Trust was the foundation of their relationship. Riley could read his thoughts from time to time but that’s not why he felt compelled to tell her the truth.

He cleared his throat before speaking. “Hey, you good?”

“I’m fine,” she sighed. “Just drained.”

“Look, can we talk?”

Riley turned her body to turn in his direction. “Of course.”

“We tell each other everything. I have nothing to hide from you and I want to keep it that way.”

“…ok…” She was worried she couldn’t read him at that moment.

Taking a deep breath Dean continued driving and decided to just get it over with. “Before we left, Cassie and I talked.”

Jealousy coursed through her as she thought on how that conversation probably went. “Go on…”

“She told me she still has feelings for me. That she had wanted to see where things could go between us.”

“She _what_?” Riley tried to contain her anger. “She knew that we’re together.”

“I know. And that’s exactly what I reminded her of. But…”

“Oh, I do _not_ like the sound of that ‘but’.”

“…she kissed me.”

Riley’s eyes grew two times their size and her heart felt like it stopped and lept into her throat.

Dean turned to see her face and hurried to explain. “But as soon as she did, I pushed her away. I swear. I told her nothing could happen between us. I told her I’m in love with you and that she and I were over, for good.”

Her eyes softened. “…you did?”

Seeing the pain in Riley’s face, Dean pulled the car over and parked. “Sweetheart, of course, I did. Yes, Cassie and I were a thing years ago. But now? It’s only you. It will always be you.”

Tears urged themselves towards release as she listened to his words. Finally, his thoughts rushed through to her. _“I have never loved anyone the way I love you, Rye.”_ His emotions swirled through the car and hit her like Cupid’s arrow to her heart. Dean was hers, and she was his. No one could come between that.

Riley thrust herself over to him until she was at his side. Her hands found the sides of his face and she kissed him with everything she had. Dean wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. His hands went into her hair and on the back of her neck pulling her into him with force. The kiss grew and deepened as the heat between them grew. A small moan escaped Riley’s throat as they fought to be as close as possible.

Sam woke to the sound and saw his brother with Riley. “Ugh. You guys! Come on. I’m in the friggin car!”

The couple pulled away and laughed as they had forgotten they weren’t completely alone. “Sorry, Sammy. Guess we just got a little carried away.” Dean shifted in his seat trying to ease the tension in his jeans. A large grin grew on Riley’s face that she attempted to hide knowing exactly why Dean was so squirmy.

“Alright, can we get back on the road now if the sex show is over?” Sam asked.

Dean let out a laugh as he put the car into drive and eased back onto the road. “I think it’s safe to say we’re gonna need a room of our own tonight.”

Sam’s face turned to one of disgust. “Oh, gross. Yeah, that’s definitely happening.”

——

The motel they stayed at that night was actually a decent place. The beds were comfortable and the room didn’t look like the 70’s had thrown up all over it.

Riley and Dean were fast asleep in their own room. She had her head on his chest and his arms were wrapped around her. They seemed to have tuckered themselves out that night.

A loud and sudden sound came for the adjoining room’s door. Sam came barreling through, short of breath with his bag over his shoulder. The noise caused Dean to shoot up from sleep and Riley grabbed the sheets to cover herself. They both had fallen asleep naked.

“Sammy! What the hell?” Dean was annoyed and slightly angry. He was too tired to deal with his little brother’s nonsense.

“We have to go.” Sam had gone to the bags at the side of the room and began to pack for them.

Riley looked at her panicked friend. “What’s happening?”

“We have to go. Right now!” Grabbing everyone’s bags, Sam hurried to the car.

Finn whined after having been startled from his sleep and a sleepy Riley looked at her boyfriend. “Uh–Dean? He just took our clothes.”

With an exhale, Dean grabbed a spare blanket and wrapped it around his waist as he went after his brother. “On it.”

——

The Impala’s engine roared as Dean sped down the highway. Rain came from every direction as the windshield wipers worked overtime to clear the window. Riley was cuddled up in the back with a still sleepy Finn.

Sam had his phone to his ear while he read the information off his fake ID badge for Michigan State Police. **“McReedy. Detective McReedy. Badge number 158.”** A notebook sat in his lap that he had jotted notes down on. **“I’ve got a signal 480 in progress. I need the registered owner of a two-door sedan, Michigan license plate– Mary-Frank-6-0-3-7.”** He paused as the dispatcher spoke on the other line. **“Yeah, okay, just hurry.”**

“Sammy, relax. I’m sure it was just a nightmare.” Dean needed his brother to relax but still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt by checking on everything. **“Just a normal everyday ‘naked-in-class’ nightmare. The license plate? It won’t check out.”**

Waiting for information, Sam was still on the phone. “This felt different, Dean. It felt too real. **Like when I dreamt about Jessica or our old house.”**

**“Well, that makes sense, Sam. You know, that was _your_ girlfriend and _our_ house.”**

Riley sat up and decided to add her thoughts. “Have you ever seen this guy before, Sam?”

“No.”

Dean looked at his brother and responded, **“exactly. Why would you be having premonitions about some random dude in Michigan?”**

“I don’t know.” Sam’s attention changed to the phone call. “Yes, I’m still here.” There was a pause and he looked at Dean. **“Jim Miller– Saginaw, Michigan. Do you have a street address?”** As he wrote down the information, Dean had a moment to himself and was filled with worry. Sam closed the phone. **“It checks out. How far are we?”**

**“From Saginaw? A couple of hours.”**

The stress and anxiety coming from them both went to Riley. Their emotions were always the strongest. She thought that Dean’s may have had to do with the bond they had. But with Sam? Maybe it was because they were such good friends.

Sam clenched his jaw as he began to panic, **“drive faster.”**

——

As they finally reached the address that Sam had gotten, the house was surrounded by police officers. Yellow crime scene tape was draped around the boundaries of the property. The blue and red lights from the cars lit up the dark street. There were EMT’s tending to a body on a stretcher as they zipped it into a black bag.

The three got out and decided to blend into the crowd that had gathered around the scene. Riley had Finn at her side. The well trained and obedient dog needed nearly no guidance and always followed her cue.

 **“What happened?”** Dean asked the woman beside him.  
  
“Suicide. I can’t believe it. I knew him. We both went to church every Sunday at St. Augustine’s. **He always seems–seemed so normal. Guess you never really know what happens behind closed doors”**

 **“How are they saying it happened?** ” Sam was trying to contain his anxiety.

 **“I heard they found him in the garage. He was locked inside his car with the engine running.** I guess it just happened an hour or two ago.”

The wife of the man who died stood with the officers and wept into the arms of a family member. Her pain floated through the air. Though she was at a distance, Riley could still feel the faint grief of the desperate woman. Her attention turned to Sam as he tried to contain his tears of frustration and turned to leave. She jogged to catch up to him as he stood away from the crowd. Finn was softly panting as he kept at her heels.

Riley hooked her arm into Sam’s as his hands sat in his jacket pockets. She leaned into him and tried to send him comfort. “Sam, don’t beat yourself up. We got here as fast as we could.” The sweet dog looked up at Sam and whimpered letting Sam know he was there.

“We weren’t fast enough.” Sam sniffled and fought back the guilt and confusion he felt. Hiding it from Riley was impossible though. She felt the urge to cry as his emotions became her own. **“This doesn’t make any sense. Why would I have these premonitions if there wasn’t even a chance I could stop them?”**

Dean had found his way to his partners and stood beside them. **“Maybe the guy just killed himself. Maybe there’s nothing supernatural going on at all.”**

Sam shook his head. **“I’m telling you guys, I watched it happen. He was _murdered_ by something.** **I don’t know what it was, I don’t even know what’s happening to me.”** He saw a strange look on Dean’s face. It looked like judgment. “What?”

**“Nothing, man. I’m just worried about you.”**

“Fine, just don’t look at me like that.”

Riley sighed. “Guys, let’s pick this up again tomorrow. We all could use the rest. We can go talk to the family and check out the house.”

“They’re not gonna want to talk to us. They’re devastated,” Sam replied.

Looking back at him, Riley got a look of mischief on her face. “I think I know who they _will_ talk to.” She got in the car as the brothers shared a worried look.

——

The next day, the three had made their way back to the house. Standing on the porch, they rang the doorbell.

Sam sighed deeply. “Man, this is a whole new low for us. How did I let you guys talk me into this?”

As the door opened, Sam and Dean were dressed as Catholic priests, and Riley was behind them dressed as a nun. Dean began to introduce themselves to the man in the doorway.

 **“Good afternoon. I’m Father Simmons. This is Father Freely** and Sister Mary-Agnes. We’re new to the parish of St. Augustine’s. **May we come in?”** The bald man in plaid nodded as they walked inside.

“We’re so sorry for your loss.” Riley took his hand in a humble and gentle manner. There were times when it seemed she missed her calling as an actress.

Dean turned back to the man who let them in. “You know, it’s time like these when I find we need to seek the Lord’s guidance most.”

Before he could continue, he was interrupted. “Look, save your speech for someone else. My brother’s dead.” He was annoyed, but Riley could see it ran deeper than that. His heart was aching at his loss and he just didn’t know how to cope with his pain.

 **“Roger, please.”** A woman from behind them spoke. He excused himself as the widow walked up to the three hunters. **“I’m sorry for my brother-in-law. He’s just so upset about Jim’s death.”** The woman was soft spoken. Her light blonde hair touched her shoulders over her grey sweater. She was carrying a plate of food to the other mourners that had gathered in her late husband’s honor. “Please, come this way. Let me get you a cup of coffee.”

Mrs. Miller poured a fresh brew of coffee into china glass cups for the boys. She went to hand one to Riley but still in character, she graciously declined.

“The support of the church means so much to me,” Alice said sitting in front of them. “You are so kind to have stopped by.”

“Of course,” Dead added. He spoke dramatically. **“After all, we are all God’s children.”**

She turned to leave and return the coffee pot. Riley tried to hide her face as she snickered from Dean’s choice of words. He didn’t see the problem with it and downed a few bites of finger foods.

Sam scoffed at his brother. “Tone it down a bit, _Father._ ”

The woman came to rejoin them. While Dean was still chewing, he turned to her. **“So, Mrs. Miller, did your husband have a history of depression?”**

“Oh, no, nothing like that,” she shook her head. Her face looked tired and like her crying had taken a toll on her. “Of course we had our issues like everyone else, but we were happy.” Mrs. Miller began to cry. “I just don’t understand. How could Jim do something like this?

Riley reached her hand out to the broken woman in condolences. Her sadness felt reminiscent of how she had felt with her loss of Debbie. The pain still lingered from time to time and she understood. “I am so sorry you had to find him like that.”

She sniffled. **“Actually, it was our son Max that found him.”**

Sam turned to see a young man in the corner of the room. He was seated in a chair as he stared out the window with a vacant expression. “Would it be alright if I went and spoke with him?”

 **“Oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you so much, Father.”** Sam feigned a smile in response and left to head in the direction of her son.

Pulling a tissue from its box, Riley handed it to the weeping woman. “You have such a lovely home, Mrs. Miller. Have you lived here long?”

“We, uh–we moved in about 5 years ago I think.”

Dean took that moment as an opportunity to gain more information. “You know, the only problem with these old houses, they cause so many issues. Weird leaks, electrical shortages, odd settling noises in the night… all those frustrating things.”

“No, no we’ve never dealt with anything like that. It’s honestly been perfect.”

That quickly had led to a dead end. **“May I use your restroom?”** Dean asked. He needed to get away and check for spirit activity.

**“Of course, it’s just up the stairs.”**

He left as Riley scooted closer to the woman. She rubbed Mrs. Miller’s hand and sat silently with her as she wept. The best part about knowing someone’s emotions was that most of the time she knew what the person needed. All the widow needed was to not feel alone, and Riley was more than happy to oblige.

——

Dean sat on his bed with several guns in pieces. He was giving them a deep clean and it always seemed to relax him. The shower was running as Riley cleaned off the long day. Unfortunately, they had found themselves in a dingy deer lodge that wasn’t exactly in the best condition. Finn sat by the door waiting for her.

Sam pinned the information they had found up on the wall. Maps, historical references to the site, family history and more were all strung out.

“No graveyards. No battlefields. No tribal lands. **No other atrocity that happened on or around the property.”** Sam was exasperated by his lack of answers.

“Hey, man, I searched that house. I didn’t smell sulfur, didn’t feel any cold spots… **nada.”** Dean continued his work and clicked pieces of a weapon back into place. “I used the infrared thermal scanner and didn’t pick up a single thing. If something demonic or whatever was there, the family would have noticed _something_.”

“So, what? Jim killed himself and my dream was just a freak coincidence?”

**“I don’t know. What I do know is there’s nothing supernatural going on in that house.”**

The bathroom door opened and Riley came out in her sweats. Her hair was wrapped up in a towel. “That door is thin as hell. No need to fill me in.” She rubbed her hands as she spread lotion over them. “So, what if it doesn’t even have to do with the house at all? I mean it could be connected to Jim in some other way.” Riley suddenly felt a splitting headache and winced. At that same moment, Sam was doing the same but his continued to grow until he was overwhelmed by the pain.

He groaned out. “Oh, god! My head!”

“Sam?” Dean rushed to his brother’s side as Riley quickly tried to pull herself together to join him. “What’s going on Sam? Talk to us.”

A suffering Sam tried to steady his breathing through the unbelievable pain. Riley was feeling only pieces of it and it still was a lot to handle.

Sam spoke through the sharp pain. **“It’s happening again. Something’s gonna kill Roger Miller.”**

——

The three were back in the car as the youngest Winchester continued to fight through his headache. He had just gotten off the phone and retrieved the address of the man from his vision.

Sam’s voice was shaky. “I’m scared, guys. I mean, as if having nightmares wasn’t enough, now I’m seeing things even when I’m awake. **And these visions or whatever, are getting more intense and painful.”** He turned to look at his family. “What is it about the Millers? How the hell am I connected to any of this? Why am I watching them die?” Sam took deep breaths through the continuing pain. “Why is this happening to me?”

“I don’t know, Sam.” Dean drove in a hurry down the highway. “All I know is we face unexplainable things every single day.”

“No. No, Dean. It’s never been us. **It’s never been in the family like this.”**

Riley sat quietly in the back keeping her thoughts to herself. The fear they were feeling was too much for her and she wasn’t sure how to help.

“Come on, Dean. You’re telling me none of this is freaking you out?” Sam asked. “Tell me the truth.”

Dean paused. **“This doesn’t freak me out.”** After a moment, his thoughts echoed into Riley. _“What the fuck? This isn’t normal. What the hell is wrong with him?”_ She continued her silence, saddened for Sam.

——

Pulling up to Roger’s apartment complex, Dean put the car in park so quick, that the car gave a slight jerk. They ran out of the car and to the alleyway. There was a rusty metal door that led to a private side of the building, but it was locked. The brothers shook it trying to open it until Dean kicked his boot hard into it and sent it swinging open. Sam, Dean, and Riley hurried down the hall that led them to a fire escape. One after another, they climbed as fast as they could. 

They moved up flight after flight until they heard a loud bang come from above them. The sound stopped them in their tracks. Walking up the last flight, they came upon the window of Roger’s apartment. Blood had splattered from inside and nearly covered the entire pane. It had leaked out and dripped off the sill.

Dean gave the others a rag and instructed them to wipe off all their fingerprints. The cops couldn’t know they had been at the scene. He then opened the second window to have a look inside. After a moment, he back came out and the three began their trudge to the car.

Coming out of the alley Dean shared what he found. “There’s nothing in there, guys. Well, besides a dead Roger. There’s no signs anything was there either, just like at the Miller house.”

“Dean, I saw something in the vision.” Sam couldn’t understand what was happening. “A black figure. I think something was stalking Roger. It’s not connected to the house, it’s connected to the family.”

“Vengeful spirit maybe?” Riley asked as she shoved her hands in her jacket pockets.

“Well, I mean they have been known to latch onto families before.” Dean put his hand on the small of her back and checked the road before beginning to cross. “It basically acts like a curse.” They all got into the car as Dean went on with his theory. **“So, maybe Roger and Jim Miller got into something dark? Something curse-worthy?”**

 **“And now something’s out for revenge,”** Sam agreed. “Seems like the Miller men are dying now.”

Riley interjected. “Wait. Does that mean Max is in danger?”

 **“Let’s figure it out before he is,”** Dean said starting the car.

 **“Well, I know one thing I have in common with this family,”** Sam scoffed. **“Both of our families are cursed.”**

Dean practically took offense to his brother’s comment. **“Our family’s not cursed. We’ve just–had our dark spots.”**

**“Well, our dark spots are pretty dark, Dean.”**

**“You’re…dark.”**

Riley laughed at Dean’s sad attempt to insult his brother.

——

Max led the three back into the family room of the home. They were dressed in character again. “My mom is resting. She’s a mess.” The boy was much smaller than the Winchester brothers. More like Riley’s height. His hair was about Dean’s length but it was unkempt and fluffy. Max constantly looked like he had been crying and his eyes seemed to always be cast down.

 **“How are you holding up?”** Sam could see the pain he was in even without Riley’s abilities. Max just shrugged.

“Were your dad and uncle close?” Dean urged.

“Uh–yeah. I mean when I was a kid, for sure. We used to be neighbors back then. We lived in this house across town and Uncle Roger lived next door so he was over all the time.”

Riley sat silently as she listened. There was a weird interference coming from Max. It was like nothing she’d experienced before. She couldn’t read his mind at all no matter how hard she tried. His emotions though were all over the place and it overwhelmed her. And though Riley couldn’t reach him, there was a strange connection there. It confused her and her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of it all.

Sam knew they were getting somewhere. “So how was it in the house when you were a kid?”

Max’s face changed. It was obvious he was fighting feeling something that was triggered by the question. “Why–why you ask?” He gave a fake smile. Everyone could feel the show that Max was putting on.

 **“Just a question,”** Dean replied.

“It was fine. Totally fine. We were totally normal.” Every word he said felt rushed and forced.

“Well that’s good,” Dean said as he gave him a look of empathy. “I’m sure you’re exhausted with everything going on. We should go. Thanks, Max.”

As they got up to leave, Sam led the way and Dean followed. Riley stayed back a moment to place a gentle hand on Max’s shoulder. The interference grew louder but so did his emotions. The suffering he was enduring was clear and it ripped through her. Feigning a smile, she nodded and followed the boys.

In the front yard, the brothers walked towards the car. Riley hurried behind them to catch up.

“Did you see the way he reacted when we asked about the old house?” Dean headed for the driver’s door.

Taking the handle of the car, Riley looked at them both. “Guys, he was terrified. There’s something obviously going on. But more than that? What I picked up on from him was so weird.”

“What do you mean?” Sam pressed.

“I dunno. It almost felt like I knew him? I know that doesn’t make sense.” Riley ran a hand through her hair after removing the nun wimple from her head. “I couldn’t get through to him though. There was also a…static? I don’t know.”

“Well, that’s _definitely_ weird.” As Dean got in, he took the cuff off from around his collar. “We gotta go check out that old neighborhood. I think there’s more to what life really was like for the Millers.”

As her thoughts raced, Riley tried desperately to make sense of her encounter with Max. There was more going on than she knew and she was determined to put it together.

Dean looked over at the woman on the seat across from him who was lost in thought. He ogled her as his eyes ran over her from head to toe. She turned and caught his seductive gaze.

Riley chuckled. “What?”

“Is it weird that I am _totally_ aroused by you in that nun costume?”

“Oh, really?” she returned his playful stare. “Well, good thing we have them for another day.”

Sam let out a sound of disgust from the back of the car. “Oh my god. It’s like I’m trapped in a bad fetish porn.”

——

Sam and Dean spoke to a neighbor on the quiet road that the Millers lived on years ago. Riley stood in front of the old home and studied it. Nothing malevolent came from the house so she couldn’t get a read on any of it. The Winchesters hurried back across the street to her.

“Guy’s lived here for almost 20 years. Said he knew the Millers way back when.” Dean joined Riley and looked up at the Victorian style home. “He said he’d never seen a kid treated the way Max was.”

“How so?”

Sam turned to face her. “He said he could hear yelling and things being thrown all the time even all the way across the street. Apparently, Max’s dad had a bad drinking problem.” He sighed. “Used to beat Max constantly. He was always bruised and his arm was broken more than once.”

Suddenly, some of the suffering Riley felt from Max made more sense. She felt sick to her stomach imagining the scared and beaten little boy that lived in that house. That terrified child still hid in the now grown man.

“Yeah, the uncle was in on it too. Hit him just as much.” Finding his pockets Dean took out his keys and fidgeted with them in his hand. “Turns out Mrs. Miller is actually his stepmom and didn’t do a damn thing. The cops were called on the house tons of times but never did any good.”

Ringing came through Sam’s ears as he braced himself for the headache that followed. Thankfully, Riley only felt physical pain from others on occasion.

As the pressure built, Sam gasped for air trying to breathe through the vision that took over him. “Guys, we gotta go.”

——

Baby neared the Miller home as Sam still came down from the effects of the vision. “It’s Max. He’s the one doing this. He’s going to kill Alice. It looked like he was using telekinesis.” He pinched the bridge of his nose as the pain lingered. “All this time, I thought it was the Millers I was connected to, but I think it was Max the whole time. But why? Is it because we’re so alike?”

Dean gave his brother a stern look. **“What are you talking about? That dude’s nothing like you. Sam, Max is a monster. He’s killed two people and now he’s gunning for a third.”**

“Judge me all you want, but with all the beatings he suffered? Him wanting to get revenge? I don’t blame him.”

“He’s no different than anything else we’ve hunted. He’s a killer. We’re gonna end him.” Dean parked the car as it came to a screeching halt. He reached to the glove box and pulled out his pistol.

“Honey,” Riley started, “we can’t kill him.”

“What do you wanna do, guys? Hand him to the cops and say, ‘this guy kills with the power of his mind’? Pfft. No. He’s gotta go.” Cocking his gun Dean’s face grew angry.

Sam pleaded with his brother, “Dean, he’s a _person_. We can talk to him. Promise me you’ll follow my lead on this one.”

 **“Fine. But I’m not letting him hurt anyone else.”** Dean got out and put the gun in his waistband. Riley and Sam shot each other a look before hurrying out of the car. They both knew it could all go south, and fast.

The two caught up to Dean as he rushed into the door, ramming it open. They could see into the kitchen from the entrance as Mrs. Miller and Max seemed to have been arguing. Tears filled his eyes and she was obviously frazzled and scared. The second Riley was in the house, the emotions were like a punch to the gut. There was fear, rage, and hate sucking the air out from around them. She shook as they enveloped her, trying to control them.

Dean gave a soft chuckle when Mrs. Miller asked what the priests were doing there. “Uh–sorry to interrupt.”

Trying his best to reach Max, Sam softened his voice and body language before speaking. “Max? Could we talk somewhere? Alone? It’s private. Won’t take long. I promise.”

“…sure.” His voice was breaking through his anger. Max headed towards the door that Dean held open for him. As he got close, he caught a glimpse of the hunter’s gun through the mirror beside him.

The front door slammed shut and all the blinds in every direction closed with force. **“You’re not priests!”**

The stepmother gasped as she watched the events unfold and Dean drew his weapon. That same moment, a force grabbed the gun and it flew to Max’s feet before he picked it up.

 **“Max! What’s happening?”** Mrs. Miller begged.

 **“Shut up!”** Using his powers, he threw her backward and sent her into the kitchen island with a slam where she hit her head. “Who the fuck are you?!” Max had the gun pointed at the three in the foyer and Dean stepped in front of Riley.

Sam had his hands up in surrender. **“We just wanna talk, Max. We’re sorry we lied about who we were, but no more lying, ok? Just hear me out. Please.”**

“About what?” Max’s words spat from his mouth in rage.

 **“I saw you do it.”** With his hands still up, Sam tried to get through to the broken man. “I saw you kill your dad and your uncle before you did it. **I’m having visions, Max. About you.”**

**“You’re crazy.”**

**“So, you weren’t about to launch a knife at your stepmom? Right here?”** Sam pointed to his right eye. **“Is it that hard to believe, Max? Look what you can do. I think I’m here to help you.”**

Max began to sob and his voice broke with every word. **“No one can help me.”**

“Let me just talk to you. Just you and me, okay? We’ll get Alice, Dean, and Riley out of here.”

Riley came out from behind Dean. “No, Sam. We’re not leaving you.”

The house shook as if an earthquake had found them. Objects that filled the home rattled. **“No one leaves this house!”** Max shouted.

Still trying to plead with him, Sam stayed calm. **“Okay, and no one has to. They’ll just go upstairs.”**

Dean couldn’t stay silent another moment. **“Nuh-uh. No way. I’m not leaving you here with him, Sam.”**

 **“Yes, you are, Dean.”** Sam turned back to Max. **“Hey, you’re in control here, okay? We all know that. No one’s gonna do anything that you don’t want. I just need five minutes, man.”** The house continued to tremor as Max’s fury filled every corner.

The gun shook in Max’s hand as he finally conceded. **“Five minutes.”** Everything stilled and the hunters took a breath of relief. With the weapon pointed at Dean and Riley, he ordered them into the kitchen. They complied and went to check on Mrs. Miller who was barely conscious. A large gash on her forehead bled down her face. Riley supported her neck as they both helped her to stand.

Sam went with Max into the living room so they could talk in private. They sat in chairs across from each other. Max used his ability to spin a letter opener on its tip on the table beside him.

“Look, Max, I am so sorry for what happened to you. You never deserved any of that. But your stepmother? She never beat you did she?” Sam stayed calm and empathetic in hopes of reaching him.

“No. But she didn’t do anything. She just let it happen. She’s just as guilty. It’ll all be over when she’s dead.”

“The things that happened to you as a kid? Killing her won’t change that they happened.”

 **“When I was a _kid_?”** Max turned his eyes to Sam. His words hissed through his teeth. **“Try last week!”** He stood and lifted his shirt to reveal terrible bruising down his entire right side. “Dad still beat the shit out of me. He just got smart and started doing it where no one could see.”

Sam’s heart broke watching Max explain to him that his abilities were a gift. That he was no longer at the mercy of his family.

“Dad got drunk for the first time in a long time last week and he beat me to hell. **I knew what I had to do.** I didn’t want to be afraid anymore.” Max’s anger poured from him as he went on. “My dad _hated_ me! He blamed me for everything. His job, his life, my real mom’s death? It was all my fault.”

**“Why would he blame you for your mom’s death?”**

**“Because she died in my nursery, while I was asleep in my crib. As if that makes it my fault.”**

Hearing Max’s words, Sam felt himself about to be sick. **“…she died in your nursery?”**

**“Yeah. There was a fire, and he’d get drunk and babble on about how she died in some insane way. He said that she burned up pinned to the ceiling.”**

Sam swallowed hard as panic rushed through him. It wasn’t just him and Riley. There were others like them whose mother’s had suffered the same fate at the hands of the demon.

“Max, you gotta listen to me. What your dad said, about your mom? It was true.”

“…what?” Max shook with rage and tears ran down his face.

“My mom? She died the exact same way. All of it was the same. It was in my _nursery_ , as I laid in my _crib_ , and my dad saw her _on the ceiling.”_

**“Your dad must have been as drunk as mine.”**

“No, Max. My friend Riley, that went upstairs with Dean? The same thing happened to her mom. **The _same_ thing killed our mothers.”**

**“That’s impossible.”**

Everything hit Sam all at once as the pieces of the puzzle began to come together. “Oh my god. That’s why I’m having visions. Why they’re getting stronger and why I’m even having them during the day. That’s why Riley’s telepathy happened and why it’s only getting more powerful. I was drawn to you. We’re connected in some way.” His breathing picked up its pace as he continued to make sense of it all. “Your abilities, they started six or seven months ago right? Out of the blue?”

“Yeah…”

“Did you have bad headaches at any point?”

**“How do you know all that?”**

“Because that’s when ours started, Max. You and Riley, both of your abilities seem to be progressing faster than mine are. But still, this means something!” Sam spoke quickly as his thoughts poured from him. “We–we must have been chosen for some reason.”

**“For what?”**

“I don’t know. But me and my brother and Riley? We’re searching for the thing that killed our moms. We could find answers, together.” He looked intently at the broken man in front of him, “but you gotta let us all go. You gotta let your stepmom go.”

A moment of silence fell on the room. It felt like hours as Sam waited for Max to respond. His rage grew again and his face furrowed as he shook his head. “No. I’m tired of all this.” Max began to yell through his tears. “This stops now!” he shouted as he got up and headed back towards the stairs.

Sam ran in front of him and stopped him in the archway. “No, Max. It won’t make any of the pain stop. Don’t be like them.” He paused; his hands up in front of him. “You don’t have to go through this on your own.”

Max inhaled as his snot moved in his nose and tears ran from his eyes. **“I’m sorry.”**

Sam’s eyes widened, and before he could respond, Max’s abilities took hold of him. It sent him backward through the air and into the closet beneath the stairs. The doors slammed and a large cabinet moved its way in front of the door to seal them shut. “No!” Sam yelled as he fought to get out. “Max, don’t!”

In the bedroom upstairs, Dean and Riley had taken Alice away like they promised. Riley held a cold compress to Mrs. Miller’s head and Dean paced by their side. She looked back at him and worry came over her. “Dean, something’s wrong.”

The bedroom door swung open ahead of Max and shut with a bang after he entered.

Dean went to walk towards him and a force grabbed him, sending him flying across the room and into the wall. “Dean!” Riley yelled. The sound of drywall crashed as it broke under the hunter’s weight. Falling to the ground, Dean groaned.

Riley got up and stood in front of the wounded widow as Max drew Dean’s gun from his pocket. He pointed it in his stepmother’s direction as Dean struggled to get up.

Putting her arms out, Riley blocked her. “Max, you don’t have to do this. I’m like you, okay? I understand the power you have. We can help you.”

The gun floated from his hand and hovered in the air as it cocked itself. “This isn’t about you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“If you wanna kill her, you have to go through me, Max.”

Dean looked up from the ground and saw Riley facing off with the gun in front of her as panic ran through him. He knew if he moved too quickly, he would risk startling Max and make him fire his shot.

“Okay,” Max said. He fired the gun anyway and sent a bullet through Riley’s skull. Her blood splashed on the wall behind her as she hit the ground.

Dean’s guttural scream filled the air as he threw himself in her direction. He fell to his knees and held her to his chest as her still warm blood seeped through his shirt. Between his gasping breaths, he sobbed into her hair.

With a flash, Sam had seen the moment unfold. Luckily, it was only a vision. He had time to stop it. Sam breathed heavily and sweat poured from his face as a migraine grew. The pain of watching his best friend die ate him alive. “No.” Sam wasn’t about to let that nightmare happen. “No!” he yelled as his anger rushed from him and a force pushed the cabinet out of the way, freeing him.

Realizing what just happened, he tried to cope with the shock. Sam pushed open the doors and raced up the stairs.

Back in the bedroom, Max spoke to Riley. “This isn’t about you. I don’t want to hurt you.” His face was red with overwhelming emotion.

Riley’s arms were stretched out to block Mrs. Miller. “If you wanna kill her, you have to go through me, Max.”

“Okay,” Max agreed.

Before the gun could go off, Sam burst through the bedroom door. “No! No! Don’t! Max, please.” He tried to catch his breath. “I told you, we can help you. Let us help you. What you’re doing, it’s not gonna fix anything.”

Max paused as tears ran down his reddened face. He slowly turned in Sam’s direction. Sweat dripped from his forehead and the muscles in his neck clenched as he fought every powerful emotion. **“You’re right.”** The gun swiftly turned to Max and immediately fired a shot into his head as his body thumped to the ground.

——

Alice Miller sat in her living room with a bandage on her head. She explained to the officers that Max had attacked her and the three hunters were friends of the family. She said she had called them after everything started up with Max.

Mrs. Miller went on to tell them that they tried to stop him and fought for the gun. Her voice broke as she re-lived those terrible moments. She began to sob uncontrollably.

**“I’ve lost everyone.”**

Her anguish hit Riley and she too began to cry. The poor woman had suffered so much and there was nothing they could do to mend her broken heart. Dean wrapped his arm around her and guided her towards the door. With his hands in his pockets and his head whirling around the events, Sam joined them at their side. 

**“If I had just said something else; gotten through to him somehow.”**

Riley took a few large strides ahead and turned back to her friend. She put her hand on his chest and stopped him in his tracks. “Don’t. Torturing yourself over this won’t fix anything. We would have had to have gotten here over 20 years ago to help him. He was too far gone, Sam.” He took the hand on his chest and squeezed it before she moved back between the brothers. They all made their way to the car.

 **“Well I’ll tell you one thing,”** Sam started as he looked at Dean. **“We’re lucky we had dad.”**

Dean’s face was in shock as he let out a small laugh under his breath. **“I never thought I’d hear you say that.”**

 **“Yeah, well, we could have gone a whole ‘nother way after losing mom.** ” He turned to face Riley. “We all could have. A little more whiskey, a little less demon hunting; we may have had the same childhood that Max did. All things considered? I think the three of us turned out okay because of the men that raised us.”

Riley reached over and rubbed Sam’s arm lovingly before they all got into the Chevy.

A small smile curved at Dean’s lips. **“All things considered.”**

——

The trunk of the car was opened and parked directly in front of the motel door as they loaded up. Riley was out taking Finn for a quick walk as the boys collected their things from the cheap room.

Sam put his things on the bed as he began to organize them. **“You know, Dean, I’ve been thinking.”**

 **“Well, that’s never a good thing,”** Dean joked.

“What the hell is going on with this demon? It’s killed so many people in our lives. Why did it kill Max’s mom? What does it want?”

**“No idea.”**

Finn’s collar jingled as he and Riley walked back into the room.

“Do you think the demon was after us? You, me, Max?” Sam turned to face his auburn-haired friend.

She stood there unsure of how to answer his question as Dean jumped in. **“Why would you think that?”**

“Well I mean, whether it’s premonitions, or telekinesis, or telepathy…we all have abilities. Maybe it wanted us for some reason.” Sam needed answers after watching Max’s suicide. He couldn’t stop replaying it in his mind.

“Sam,” Dean said as he folded his clothes. “If it wanted you, it would have taken you guys from the get-go. This isn’t any of your faults. It isn’t about you.”

Sam scoffed. **“Then what the hell is it about?”**

“It’s about the damn thing that did this to our families. **It’s about the thing we’re gonna find and the thing that we’re gonna kill.”** Dean always got heated when he talked about finally ending the lifelong nightmare.

“Actually, uh–” Sam searched for the words to say. “There’s more.”

The oldest brother looked at him with concern as Riley stepped closer to him. “What, Sam?” Her eyes were soft and worried as she felt him nervous to speak.

“When Max locked me in that closet, he put a giant cabinet against the door. And at one point I–I moved it.”

Dean laughed. **“Well, guess you got a little bit more upper-body strength than I give you credit for.”**

Riley looked Sam in the eye and spoke to Dean. “I don’t think that’s what he means, Dean. I think he means…he moved it…like Max.”

“Yeah.” Sam sighed. “That’s what happened.”

“Oh,” was the only word Dean could get out. He picked up a spoon and held it in his brother’s direction. **“Here, bend this.”**

**“It doesn’t work like that, Dean. I can’t just turn it on and off.”**

**“Then how’d you do it?”**

Riley interrupted as she felt things begin to escalate. “Sam, what happened right before you moved it?”

“I had a vision.” He paused. “…I saw Max kill you.”

Her eyes cast down and shot back and forth as she tried to collect her thoughts. “Maybe, it’s like me. My abilities tend to get stronger or new things happen when I’m upset. Moments of stress or anger turn up the amp or something.”

“Riley,” Sam reeked of dread. “Aren’t you worried? Worried that we’re gonna end up like Max?”

Before she could answer, Dean looked at them. “No way, that’s not happening. You both have something that Max didn’t.” Sam and Riley both turned in his direction as he put his favorite worn leather jacket on and fixed the collar. “You got me.” He smiled and grabbed his bag. “As long as I’m around, nothing bad’s gonna happen to either of you.” Dean planted a kiss on Riley’s forehead before turning towards the car.

Riley patted Sam on the back in comfort. She then whistled for Finn and he headed for the Impala, jumping in the back seat. Sam took Riley’s hand and held it gently. She looked up at him, “what is it?”

“I never told you this, but I think it’s too important not to.”

“Okay…”

“Before we met, I had dreams.”

“Right, yeah, about Jessica.”

“…and you.”

Taken back, Riley didn’t know how to respond and stood with her mouth slightly open as words refused to come out.

“I dreamt about you in the diner, and about that night we met with the vampires in the alley. That’s why I came looking for Dean. I saw the attack before it happened and I knew I had to help.” Sam looked at her, afraid she wouldn’t take the news well. “We’re connected, just like I was with Max. But because of how close we are, it’s different. You’re like my sister, Riley. We were _supposed_ to meet. The three of us we _meant_ to be together.”

Riley’s eyes stayed locked on his. She could feel how nervous he was to tell her. “Sam, I always knew you both were destined to be in my life. Truth be told, I felt a strange connection to you when we first met. I could feel it in my bones.” Riley reached out and put a gentle hand on his cheek. “Whether you had a premonition about it or not, doesn’t change that. Just means you knew I was awesome before we even met.” She gave him a goofy smile and he chuckled.

Taking her hand from his face and into his hand, he felt so close to this woman who had become family. He couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. 

“Wait, did you ever get the headaches I’ve been getting? Max said he had them too.”

She softly shook her head with a curious look. “No. It all felt like I kind of just eased into it.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “That’s so strange. Why didn’t I get them when my abilities started?”

“Well, just consider yourself lucky, Munroe,” Sam said playfully.

Dean came back into the room with a serious look. “You guys, I know where we gotta go with both of you being friggin psychics now.” He took a beat and grinned. “Las Vegas, baby.”

“Oh my god,” Riley chuckled as she got into the car. Sam did the same.

As he got ready to close the door, Dean’s face changed. It wasn’t funny anymore. The two people he loved more than anything were headed down a path that he didn’t know how to save them from. He knew the demon was tied into this. That it was completely possible that it wanted them both. It scared him and shook him to his core.

Sam’s question about turning into Max rang through his head. The idea that his brother or the woman he loved could snap, made him sick to his stomach. Dean didn’t want to believe it, but his mind began to prepare for the worst. He had no idea how he was gonna save them, but he had already decided that he would.

He looked into the dark room and one last thought rang through his mind. _“I can’t lose them. I won’t let them turn into that fucking monster.”_ The fact of the matter was, that if they did? It would be his job to end it.

Dean closed the motel door and cleared his mind as best he could. He couldn’t chance those thoughts being heard by Riley. They were his burden to carry, and his alone.

\------


	8. "Shadow"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slaughterings of seemingly innocent people have Sam, Dean, and Riley in Chicago, Illinois. Their investigation oddly has them run into a familiar face that makes them all question what's really going on.

**Word Count: 8,623** **  
**

**Content Warning: language and violence**

**DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.**

********Chicago, Illinois. This wasn’t the first time the Winchesters blew into town and Riley was no stranger to the city herself. She and Finn stayed back at the motel while the boys went to start working the case. Sometimes, false identities are easier bought when it was just two of them instead of three.

Up on the third floor, the motel was quiet in the middle of the late morning. The traffic horns and passing cars were to be expected though. Riley had taken Finn out for a walk and stretched their legs after another long drive. With everything that had been going on, she needed to attempt to clear her mind. Not to mention their last case left a mark on her. That one wasn’t even about monsters. It was humans who behaved as though they were monsters. As Dean had said, **“demons, I get. People are just crazy.”**

Coming back into the room, she put her keys on the small counter while the pup went and made himself at home. She poured herself a glass of water and chugged it down before kicking off her Converse.

Riley hated when Sam and Dean went on their own. Not because she worried as much as she just hated being on the sidelines. Waiting was never her strongest skill. She needed to be putting in the work.

She sat on the couch with a large exhale and gave herself permission to relax. Sleeping the night before was rough, to say the least. There wasn’t anything for her to do, so it seemed like an opportune time for a nap. Riley laid back on the couch, crossed her ankles and her arms and closed her eyes. Hopefully, the boys would be back soon and they could move on the case.

_Once again, Riley found herself in the familiar motel room with the tacky green wallpaper. This time was different though. It was as though she was more aware of her surroundings and herself. Almost as though she knew it wasn’t real. She wasn’t shocked watching her dad walk through the door with dinner this time. Her heart still skipped a beat though seeing his face and realizing how deeply she missed him._

_As the scene played on, Jackson found Riley’s body on the floor across the room. A single tear ran down her face as she watched the all too familiar moment. She didn’t need to go over to him. She already knew what she would find._

_Jackson sobbed at the loss of his daughter and cradled her in his arms. She tried not to be too engaged in the emotions the dream always brought about. Being more self-aware, she took a moment to look at the room more closely._

_After a moment, she had a thought as her father’s cries faded into the background…_

The sound of a car alarm woke her. Riley sat up and gathered herself. For the first time, she wasn’t a victim of the dream. This time, she realized something… _“I’ve been in that motel room before.”_

——

Dean pulled Baby to the side of the main street. He and Sam got out of the car closing the doors behind them. They were dressed in blue uniform jumpsuits with a patch on the chest that read: “PF Alarm Systems”.

“This is ridiculous, Sam. Why the hell do we need these stupid costumes? Dad and I never used any of this crap before.”

“Dean, just for once, don’t be a pain in the ass about something.”

They went upstairs to the apartment of a young woman who had been murdered. She was the case. Sam and Dean had been let in by the superintendent. They claimed to be with the security company the victim had used.

**“Well, no offense, but your company is about as useful as boobs on a man.”**

“Well, that’s why we’re here. **We’re gonna find out what went wrong and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”** Dean walked further into the apartment seeing that the crime scene was in the living room. He moved the sheer curtains to look for anything the police could have missed as Sam circled around doing the same. “Were you the one that found the body, ma'am?”

The superintendent was small of stature but held herself together well. “Meredith’s work called. They said she hadn’t been in for a few days. So, I came up here to check on her. There was no answer when I knocked, but I did notice a terrible smell.” She looked around at the bloodstained room and tried to remain professional. “Front door was locked, all the windows were bolted. Hell, we had to cut the chain on the door just to get in.”

Meredith’s apartment was modern and clean. Very fitting of a young woman. A white carpet sat in the center of the room but was covered in blood splatter. It tainted the sweet spirit of the home she had once lived in.

 **“And the alarm was still on?”** Dean asked.

 **“Like I said,”** the superintendent started. **“Bang-up job your company is doing.”** She took a pause before continuing. “There was no overturned furniture or anything out of place. The whole place was in perfect condition. **Well, except for Meredith.”**

Sam turned to the woman with curious eyes. **“And what condition was Meredith in?”**

 **“Meredith was all over the place in pieces.** Whoever did this to her was a total whack-job. **If I didn’t know any better, I’d say a wild animal did it.”** After feeling she didn’t want to be there any more than she had to, she turned to leave. “I’ll let you boys give the place a once over. Just let me know when you’re done.”

“No prints, the killer just walks in and out, no other evidence? I’m telling you, man,” Sam knelt down to open his toolbox to pull out their equipment. “The minute I saw that article in the paper, I know this was our kinda thing.”

Dean continued his inspection. “Talked to the cops, and they didn’t give us anything else to go on but what the papers said. Well, except for one thing.” Dean paused and turned to his brother, **“Meredith’s _heart_ was missing.** And you heard the lady, she said it looked like an animal attack. Maybe we’re looking for a werewolf.”

“No, I don’t think so. Lunar cycles aren’t right for that. Actually, if it was any kind of animal at all, it would have left something behind; some kind of trace. I’m thinking spirit.”

The EMF detector in Dean’s hand whirred wildly as he turned it on. “I think I’m gonna have to agree with you on that one.” He walked around as the device continued to sound off.

Stopping, Dean took a closer look at the white rug. The blood splatter stood out to him for some reason and he went to grab some masking tape. He got on his knees and used the tape to connect the spots of blood. As he stood up to look at the whole picture, the brothers could see a clear symbol. It resembled a strange looking “Z” or backward “S” with a circle in the middle.

——

Later that night, Riley had joined Sam and Dean as they went to get more information on the dead woman. They had gone to her place of work, which just happened to be a pool bar. Sam sat at one of the high tables and went through clipped newspaper articles while Dean got them drinks and spoke to the bartender. The auburn-haired hunter made her way out from the restroom and headed towards the table.

“Well,” Dean put the three glasses on the table. “Meredith was a pretty chill girl from what everyone’s saying. She waited tables, never had any issues with anybody and everyone here was her friend.” He scooted his barstool closer to Riley and pushed her drink in her direction.

“Okay, well what about the symbol you guys mentioned? Did you find anything on that?” Riley took a sip from her glass of whiskey and sighed after swallowing.

“I couldn’t find a thing. Nothing in dad’s journal or any of the books I read had anything on it.” Sam looked around the room and then back at his partners. “Guess I just gotta dig a little deeper.”

“There was a first victim before Meredith, right?” Dean ran his fingers across the skin on the small of Riley’s back where her shirt didn’t completely cover. His touch was soothing but always lit a fire in her.

“Yeah.” The youngest Winchester handed the couple a newspaper article. “Ben Swardstrom. **Last month he was found mutilated in his townhome. Same deal; the door was locked, alarm was on, nothing out of place.”**

Riley furrowed her brow as she studied the paper. “There doesn’t seem to be any connection between the two of them.”

“Nope. None. Meredith was a waitress and Ben was a banker. **They never met or even knew anyone in common. They were practically from different worlds.”**

Dean threw back his shot glass and seethed. “Great. So we got jack squat.”

Sam’s face changed as he suddenly went to stand. He went past the table and kept on walking across the bar without a word to his partners.

Riley faked a gasp. “Rude,” she said full of sarcasm.

The two turned to see Sam walk up to a girl with short platinum blonde hair that he tapped on the shoulder. They seemed to know each other and they hugged. Riley and Dean downed the last of their drinks as they went to follow him.

Dean leaned his head towards the woman on his arm and spoke out of the side of his mouth. “She’s cute. ‘Bout time Sammy got lucky.” Riley playfully bat at his arm as they walked up to Sam and his friend.

**“Gosh, Sam. What are the odds of us running into each other?”**

**“Yeah, I know. I never thought I’d see you again.”** Sam smiled at her and then realized his family just behind him. “Oh, Meg, this is my brother, Dean and his girlfriend, Riley.”

 **“So, this is Dean.”** Meg’s tone became harsh. **“Real nice, the way you treat your brother like luggage.”** Dean stood dumbfounded by the strange woman that acted as though she knew him. **“Why don’t you just let him do what he wants to do?”**

Riley felt something wrong. This feeling was new. It was emptiness. But more than that, it was unsettling. The woman she was just introduced to didn’t give off any feelings, thoughts or emotions. She always picked up _something_ from people. The thoughts were still only on occasion, and the same went for emotions. But she always could very obviously feel the presence and energy of others around her. It was like Meg was a shell of a person. A cold shiver ran up her spine and she suddenly felt nauseous.

Sam interrupted Meg and let out a breathy laugh, “Meg, it’s okay. We’re all good now.”

There was a moment of silence and Dean whistled. “Wow. Awkward. Okay, well we’re gonna go get another drink now.” He took Riley’s hand as he gave her a look of discomfort and they walked away. But she turned over her shoulder to get one last look at the strange woman.

Riley got on her tiptoes and went up to Dean’s ear to talk over the music. “Something’s not right with her, Dean.”

“Pfft. Yeah, you’re telling me.”

——

Outside of the bar, the three headed down the street. Dean was clearly annoyed. **“So who the hell was she?”**

Sam’s hands found his pockets as he shook his head. “ **I really don’t know. I only met her once.** But running into her again? I dunno. The whole thing just feels weird to me.”

**“And what was she saying about how I ‘drag you around like luggage?’ What? Were you bitching about me to some chick?”**

“Dean, I’m sorry, okay? It was when I was hitch-hiking in Indiana after our huge fight. We ran into each other again at the bus station and just ended up talking.”

 **“Well is there any truth to what she was saying? Huh? Am I just keeping you here against your will, Sam?”** Dean’s voice raised and his irritation grew.

“Guys,” Riley gently tugged at him to turn her way and Sam stood beside them. She needed to stop the argument before it got out of hand. Every time the brothers fought, her empathic ability was just too much to deal with. “Look, regardless of what happened with you and this ‘Meg girl’, Sam, something’s not right. I can feel it.”

“Me too. It’s just too weird. **I think this might even be a lead.”** Sam shook his head. “I met this girl _weeks_ ago on the side of the road and now I just _happen_ to be in the same random bar in Chicago that she is? The same bar that the dead waitress worked at who was slaughtered by something supernatural?”

“I dunno, Sammy. Weird coincidences happen.” Dean was trying to come down from his frustration.

“But to _us_ , Dean?” Riley looked up at him. “Babe, there’s something about this girl that I just can’t put my finger on, but my gut is telling me Sam might be right.”

Sam nodded in agreeance.“Would you guys do me a favor? Can you check and see if there’s really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts? And maybe see if you can find anything on that symbol?”

Dean rolled his eyes. **“What are _you_ gonna do?”**

**“I’m gonna watch Meg.”**

Letting out a solid laugh, Dean took Riley’s hand. **“Alright, you little pervert.”** Riley tried not to laugh too as they headed in the direction opposite of Sam.

——

Finally, back at the motel, Riley sat in front of Sam’s laptop and showed Dean what she had found. He picked up his phone and called his brother.

 **“Hey,”** Sam answered.

 **“Let me guess, you’re lurking outside some girl’s apartment aren’t you?”** Dean gave Riley a playful look as he teased his little brother.

**“No. …yes.”**

**“You got a funny way of showing your affection, kid.”**

Riley took the phone from her boyfriend and rolled her eyes with a laughing scoff. “Hey, Sam, it’s me.”

“Did you guys find anything?”

“Well, believe it or not, she checks out. There _is_ a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts. I mean, we even pulled up her high school photo. It’s her, Sam.” Riley ran a hand through her hair frustrated that this was a dead end.

Dean spoke up loud enough to make sure Sam could hear him. **“Why don’t you go knock on her door? Go invite her to a poetry reading or something.”** He laughed to himself, proud of his taunt.

“The _symbol_.” Sam tried to bring the conversation back to focus. “Anything on that?”

“Actually,” Riley turned back to the computer, “we _did_ have some luck on that. It’s Zoroastrian. Super old school. We’re talking like 2,000 years before Christ kind of old. It’s a sigil for a Daeva.”

**“What’s a Daeva?”**

“So, the name translates to ‘demon of darkness’. Zoroastrian demons. They’re totally animalistic. **Nasty attitudes, kind of like a demonic pitbull.”**

Sam scoffed. “See? This is why we need you. Dean never would have found that on his own.”

From the background, Dean yelled, “you’re on speakerphone, douchebag!” He walked back to the table after grabbing a beer. “Anyways, these Daevas have to be summoned. So someone is controlling it. **And from what we found, it looks like it’s pretty risky business too. These suckers tend to bite the hand that feeds them–and the arms…and the torsos.”**

 **“So what do they look like?”** Sam wished he was there getting the information himself. He was too eager to delve into more research on the creature.

“No one knows, Sam,” Riley said chiming back in. “Supposedly, no one’s seen any for a couple millennia. This thing is ancient. To summon something like this? This person really knows their stuff.”

Dean agreed. **“I think we got a major player in town.”** He smiled as he came up with another clever joke for his brother. **“Now why don’t you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?”**

**“Oh, bite me, Dean.”**

**“No! Bite her! Just don’t leave teeth marks!”**

The line went dead as Sam hung up.

Shaking her head Riley laughed at Dean. “You just really can’t help yourself can you?”

“It’s a curse,” he shrugged. “But now I’m wondering, how do _you_ feel about a little biting?” Dean’s eyebrow went up and down in a suggestive manner as he clamped his teeth together. Riley squealed and hurried across the room as he came up behind her and picked her up by her waist. She laughed as he carried her towards the bed.

——

Sam flipped his phone shut. Dean’s constant jokes about his sex life could definitely get on his nerves.

The street he sat on was quiet and the dark sky drizzled small drops of rain. He sat in the Impala, waiting for Meg to do something conspicuous. Sam knew he had to trust his instincts on this one.

Finally, he saw her come out of her building. She seemed to look around before she headed down the block. Sam got out of the car and tried to follow behind her without being seen.

After a minute or two, he watched her go into an abandoned building with a sign reading: _do not enter_. He gave her some time to head inside before he quietly went in after her. Sam followed a stairway that led to a door and turned the handle. It was locked and Meg was nowhere to be seen.

He turned to see an old metal caged elevator that no longer worked. Sam went inside and used the bars as leverage to climb up. Climbing up four levels, he finally reached one that had a flickering glow illuminating from it. Sam clung to the metal as he waited in position. He worked to slow his breathing after the climb while trying to remain as still and silent as possible.

There was an empty room with random strewn about items. A table, that appeared to be an altar, was in the middle of the room. Candles and what looked like dark magic objects covered the table top.

Meg finally made her entrance and walked towards the altar. She picked up an ancient-looking bowl and began to recite an incantation in Latin. Sam’s squinted, desperate to get a closer look as he watched her perform some form of ritual. She was stirring the contents of the bowl with her finger as she stared into it.

She began to speak into the bowl in her hands. **“I don’t think you should come.”** Meg paused. **“Because the brothers** and the Munroe girl, **they’re in town. I didn’t know–”** she stopped as though someone had interrupted her. **“Yes, sir. Yes, I’ll be here…waiting for you.”**

Soft smoke surrounded her as she blew out the candles and returned the item to the table before turning to leave.

Sam had been hanging there the entire time. Once he knew the coast was clear, he worked to pull himself up onto the concrete level. Finally able to stand, Sam checked behind him as he walked to the altar. The table top was made of some form of reflective glass. There were bones, black candles, strange cards, and other things littered across it. In the center was the symbol they had found back at the crime scene. It had been drawn in blood and the bowl she had been stirring was filled with blood as well.

**“What the hell?”**

——

“ **So hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva.”** Dean walked across the room to sit on the bed.

Riley gave him a look. “ _Hot_?” Dean shrugged. “Eh, fair enough,” she replied as she picked at her guitar.

Sam was flustered and paced across the room as he spoke. “She was talking into this bowl almost like how a witch would talk into a crystal ball. She was definitely communicating with _someone_.” His eyes looked down and shot back and forth as he thought. “Someone was giving her orders. _Someone_ is coming to that warehouse.”

Dean shot a look at Riley who’s eyes had grown as she absorbed the information. Her sweet Finn was gnawing at a treat she had brought back for him. “Show him what else we found,” she said nodding in the direction of the papers on the bed.

“Okay, so I was able to get into the police records. We missed something before.” Sam went to sit on the bed as Dean showed him the hard copies they had gotten. “The old guy? The first victim? **He spent his entire life in Chicago but look where he was born.”**

**“Lawrence, Kansas.”**

**“Mm-hmm. And Meredith? The second victim? She was adopted, and guess where she’s from?”**

Sam took a deep breath and scoffed. “Holy shit.” There was a moment where no one knew what to say. The puzzle they had been trying to piece together was even bigger than they thought. **“I mean, that’s where the demon killed** our moms. **That’s where it all started.** Wait, so does that mean we think Meg is tied up with the demon?”

“I think it’s definitely a possibility, Sam.” Riley put down the guitar and stood to lean against the wall, her arms crossed. “I’m telling you, there’s something even more than this going on with Meg. I felt it the moment we met her. This girl is bad news.”

Neither Sam or Dean were giving off too many emotions at the moment besides confusion. Riley was also starting to think that she was learning how to manage feeling Sam and Dean’s emotions. Maybe she was finding an on and off switch with the two of them.

“But I don’t understand.” Sam was clearly shaken. **“What’s the significance with Lawrence?”**

Dean shook his head as he replied, **“I dunno but I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation.”**

“No, Dean. We can’t do that. We can’t tip her off.” Getting up off the bed, Sam ran his hand down his face. “We have to get back there though and see who or what is gonna show up to meet her.”

“Sammy, I think we gotta call dad.”

——

 ** _“We think we got a serious lead on the thing that killed mom. So uh, this warehouse – it’s 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can.”_** Dean flipped the phone shut and turned to see Sam drop full and heavy bags onto one of the beds. **“Geez, what’d you get?”**

A small laugh escaped the young Winchester. **“I ransacked that whole trunk. Holy water, every weapon I could think of. Exorcism rituals from about half a dozen religions. I’m not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything huh?”**

Riley walked in from the other room with Finn at her heels. She grabbed the shotgun from the bed and loaded it. The faces of all three hunters were stone cold serious as they readied themselves.

 **“Big night.”** Dean loaded his pistol without looking up.

“Yeah,” Riley agreed. Her voice was soft spoken but full of certainty.

Sam looked at his family. “You guys, nervous?”

They all agreed they weren’t but Riley could feel the tension and nervous energy that was bursting through the room. This was leading up to the moment they all were trained for since they were children. Yet none of them felt ready now that it was here. It was as though everything came down to this. Guns continued to click as they were checked and loaded.

A soft laugh came from Sam as he grinned. “What if we actually find the damn thing tonight? The demon.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too high, Sammy,” Dean said giving his brother a look.

“No, I know, but–what if we did. What if this was it? It could all be over tonight.” Another soft laugh escaped Sam as he envisioned a life free of that burden. **“Man, I’d sleep for like a month. Go back to school, just be a person again.”**

Dean feigned a face of acceptance. **“Yeah, that’s great. Good for you.”** The tension rose and Riley tried to breathe through it.

“I mean, what are you both gonna do when this is all over?” Sam looked confused as to why Dean was so disconnected from all this and why Riley had so little to say.

 **“It’s never gonna be over,”** Dean said sternly as he began to strap up. **“There’s always gonna be others. There’s always gonna be something to hunt.”**

“Rye?”

“Sam…you guys, Finn; this is all I have.” Riley tried to choke back the lump that grew in her throat as she laced her boots. “Even if we kill this thing tonight, this is my life. And Dean’s right. I’ll never be able to just stop knowing that there will always be evil waiting around the corner.” She ran her hand through her hair and realized she had never allowed herself to think about those things. Riley had to accept that hunting was the only future she would ever have, even if she did want more.

**“But there’s gotta be something that you want for yourselves.”**

“Yeah, Sam. There is. We don’t want you bailing on us the second this thing is over.” Dean’s voice was harsh but full of pain. The room fell silent.

**“Dude, what the hell is your problem?”**

Leaning against the dresser, Dean tried to steady himself before his emotions took over. Riley wanted to know where his head was and opened herself to what he was feeling. It was powerful. There was a glimmer of hope that was clouded by sadness and hopelessness. “Me, coming to get you at Stanford? It was more than dad just going missing or us finding the demon. It–” he stopped as he fought the tightness in his chest. “You, me, dad and now Riley? **I want us to be a family again.”**

**“Dean, we will _always_ be a family. I’d do anything for you. For either of you. But things will never be the way they were before.”**

Fighting back his tears Dean replied with a forced smile, **“…they could be.”**

 **“…I don’t want them to be.”** Sam paused as Dean swallowed hard trying to contain his heartbreak. **“I’m not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you’re both gonna have to let me go my own way.”** It was anything but easy to say those words. Sam loved them both so much, but being a hunter was never the life he wanted. As soon as he made peace over the deaths of his mom and Jess, it was going to be time to move on.

Dean went back to work preparing for the night to come. He tried to control the grief that ripped through him. All Dean ever wanted was his family. Nothing else mattered, but he would always need Sam and Riley.

A tear fell from Riley’s eye and she turned quickly to wipe it away. Not only was she hurting for the man she loved, but the idea of not having her best friend in her life cut her like a knife. Sam was her brother. She wasn’t ready to let him go either.

She went to fill Finn’s bowls before they left and knelt down to stroke his fur to seek comfort. It was always hard leaving him behind before a hunt they couldn’t take him on. Riley was always scared that would be the last moment she saw her first real friend. She had a system in place though with another hunter. She would let them know when she was headed out. If she didn’t check in the next day, they would come to take care of Finn.

Riley almost felt guilty for bringing him on the road with her, but he had nowhere else to go and she wasn’t about to abandon her partner. He was a stray when they found each other and she was always going to make sure he had a home at the end of the day.

Overwhelmed by the guilt of leaving Finn that she knew all too well, along with the pain that had come with their family’s conversation, Riley tried to hold herself together. She needed to be strong and ready. Not just for herself, but for mom, for dad, for Deb, and for Sam and Dean. This was bigger than she ever would be. It wasn’t about her or what she was feeling. It was about being the woman her father raised her to be.

_“I’m gonna make you proud, dad.”_

——

Sam led his partners to the warehouse and began his climb up the metal of the elevator. Dean followed behind him, while Riley looked up at them. She rolled her eyes and tried to contain her whine of discomfort as she began her ascent. She was never really a fan of heights.

They reached the level with the altar and held on tight to the bars as they peered in. All three worked to calm their breathing while remaining hidden. Meg had returned and was reciting yet another Latin incantation. Her back was turned towards the hunters and her face was lit by the black candles in front of her.

The Winchesters began to pull themselves out through the opening of the elevator shaft and onto the concrete floor. Riley was the last one to climb in and Dean grabbed her arms to help her up. Sam pulled out his gun and aimed. His heart beat so hard in his chest he could hear it in his ears. As Dean and Riley made their way to a place to hide, Sam covered their backs and joined them. Finding crates to set themselves up on, they readied their weapons and were prepared for battle.

 **“Guys. Hiding is a little bit childish, don’t you think?”** Meg still faced away but they could almost hear the malevolent smile that grew on her face.

Dean turned to the others. **“Well, that didn’t work out like I planned.”**

 **“Why don’t you come out?”** Meg’s voice sent that same cold chill through Riley. The emptiness inside her was deafening.

The hunters stood from their hidden positions and slowly made their way towards their target. Their weapons were ready to fire.

“So,” Riley started with sass in her voice. “Your Daeva friend around? We thought it might be fun for all of us to get to know each other.”

“They’re around. But I don’t think your shotgun’s gonna do much good, honey.” The blonde woman returned Riley’s attitude.

“Oh, don’t you worry about that, Meg.” A small grin grew as she responded. “The shotgun’s not for the demon.”

Sam tried to hide the nervousness that made him want to shake. **“So who is it, Meg? Who’s coming? …who are you waiting for?”**

**“You.”**

With that single word, Riley could hear a faint and distant echoing scream coming from Meg. Like a cry for help in an endless darkness.

Her eyes grew as she began to finally feel afraid and realized something else was coming. The hair on her arms stood on end as a dark shadow figure came up from the ground and flew up onto the wall. It seemed to have long fingers that were like claws and the creature looked almost cloaked. Its arms were stretched out and a dark feeling ran through the room.

Soaring across the walls, it charged at the hunters. Its hands struck powerful blows into the Winchesters that sent them through the air. They crashed hard into the ground and onto crates that had been long forgotten. The sound of the wood breaking seemed to echo out along with the rounds Riley fired in a desperate attempt to reach Meg. She missed and suddenly, she too was thrown.

A clawed scratch mark ripped through Sam’s left cheek tearing at his flesh.

——

Beaten and bruised, Riley, Sam, and Dean were tied to pillars in the room. Blood dripped from their faces and heads after their merciless defeat.

“Hey, Sammy…” Riley looked over at her friend. “I really hope you don’t take this personally, but your girlfriend?” Her face turned towards Meg. “Is a total _bitch_ ,” she added with snark as she spit out blood.

Sam’s face stung as blood still came from his torn skin. His anger grew as he looked at the monster that had taken them hostage. He felt like such a fool. “This. All of it. It was a trap.” Sam scoffed. **“Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearing what you had to say– it was all a setup wasn’t it?”** A small sinister chuckle came from Meg as she looked back at him and listened. **“And the fact that all the victims were from Lawrence?”**

“Oh, honey. That didn’t mean shit. All of it was just to draw you in.”

**“You killed those two people, for nothing.”**

Meg stared him down. **“Baby, I’ve killed a lot more for a lot less.”**

“You got us. You should be so proud of yourself.” Even as a prisoner, Dean’s sarcasm dripped from his mouth. “So, why haven’t you killed us already?”

 **“Not very quick on the uptake, are we?”** Meg’s face was cocky and she found the whole situation slightly amusing. **“This trap isn’t for you.”**

The hunters took a moment before Sam spoke out, his voice soft and broken. “Dad.” He had to fight the lump in his throat realizing John was in danger. **“It’s a trap for dad.”**

 **“Well, sweetheart, you’re dumber than you look.”** Dean was trying to contain the rage he felt growing inside him, but Riley still felt it all. **“‘Cause even if he _was_ in town, which he’s not, he wouldn’t walk into something like this. He’s too good.”**

Standing up from her seat, Meg sauntered in his direction. “Well, you see, I happen to know he _is_ in town. And John Winchester…has one weakness.” The brave front they had been trying to put on quickly melted from their faces at her words. She crouched down in front of Dean and straightened his jacket. “…you guys. He lets his guard down when it comes to you boys. So, yeah…he’ll come. He’ll try to save you, **and then all the Daevas will kill everybody–nice, and slow…and messy.”**

“You really think some shadow thing is gonna be enough to take him out?” The oldest Winchester knew the hunter his father was and didn’t doubt his abilities for a moment.

“The Daevas, they’re all around us right now. The shadows are just the part you can see.”

Sam’s anxiety grew and he was tired of her games. “Why are you doing this, Meg? Huh? What kind of deal did you make?”

“I’m doing this for the same reason you all do what you do. **Loyalty, love.** ” Turning to Riley, she continued, “Like the love you had for your mommy’s…or Deb.”

The blue-eyed hunter clenched her jaw. “You don’t get to _fucking_ say her name,” Riley seethed fighting against her restraints. Controlling her wrath was no longer an option. Every bone in her body ached in need as she imagined all the ways she could kill Meg.

An evil and complete smile sat on her face as she saw the reaction she was getting from the Winchesters and Riley. She turned her attention to Sam and seductively went in his direction. Sitting in his lap Meg got in his ear and breathed as she spoke. “Come on, Sam. I know how you really feel about me. I’ve seen the way you’ve looked at me. You want me, Sam. **Come on, we can still have a little dirty fun.”** Meg began to kiss at his neck and lick up to his ear trying to get him to give in. She bit at his shoulder and pulsing neck building the tension.

As she pulled away to look at him, Sam butted his head into hers sending her falling flat on her back. He had untied himself with a blade he had hidden in his sleeve. Sam groaned in pain from the blow.

“Sam! Get the altar.” Riley threw a look in its direction and he fought through his headache towards it. Sam flipped the table sending the objects shattering. The collected blood spilled onto the ground.

A look of panic grew on Meg’s face as she still laid on the concrete floor recovering from her head injury. The Daevas were free from her hold, and they were angry. She knew they were coming for her. Before she could fight to stand, shadows flashed through the room and attacked the injured woman. They grabbed Meg and drug her across the floor as she screamed and then threw her through the 4th story window. The sound of breaking glass surrounded the building and her screams fell silent as she hit the pavement below.

Sam ran to free Riley and Dean from the ropes and the three ran to the now broken window. They sighed in relief to see her dead body below them, surrounded by shards of glass.

 **“I’m guessing the Daevas didn’t like being bossed around.”** Sam was finally able to catch his breath.

 **“Guess not.”** Dean turned to his brother. **“Hey, Sam, next time you wanna get laid,** try to find a girl that’s not batshit crazy, huh?” Riley snickered at the comment before they turned to leave.

——

The hall of the rundown motel was barely lit by the cheap bulbs in the lights on the wall. Sam, Riley, and Dean were exhausted as they made their way towards their room. Sam still had the gear bag slung over his shoulder.

As they approached the door, Riley got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She could hear Finn growling from inside. She turned to the boys and they noticed it as well. Dean grabbed the gun from his waistband and shoved open the door ready for a fight. Finn was across the room in a corner. His teeth were bared and his hair stood on end as he readied to charge at the dark figure that stood in the shadows.

With his gun raised and the others behind him, Dean yelled, “hey!”

Riley turned on the lights as the mysterious intruder turned in their direction. He stepped into the light with a smile. It was John Winchester.

All three stood in shock unsure of what to say. The only word Dean could utter softly came out, “dad?”

John had soft tears filling his eyes as he looked back at them. **“Hey, boys.”**

Riley felt herself drowning in the emotions that flooded the room. But the one feeling that stood out amongst them all…was love.

Dean moved in the direction of his father and John did the same until they met in the middle of the room. They threw their arms around each other in a strong embrace. The oldest Winchester son had ached for his dad to come back to him for so long. He finally felt a sense of peace as he held him.

After a deep hug, they broke apart and John turned to his youngest son. “Hi, Sam.”

“Hey, dad.” There was no real moment of relief between the two. The last time they had been together, a fight broke out between them when Sam decided to go to college. Neither was sure of how to reconcile the tension between them. But both still longed for the connection they craved.

John looked over at Riley who had gone across the room to comfort a scared Finn. They locked eyes and there was some discomfort but genuine care between them. “Riley. Been a long time.”

“Yeah.” She paused as she stood back up. “It’s good to see you, John.”

_“She’s a tough one, like her old man. He’d be so proud of her.”_

Riley’s heart swam at John’s thoughts. But she quickly felt the familiar sting of guilt swimming through Dean as he looked at his father.

 **“Dad, it was a trap. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”** All he wanted was to be a good son. John meant the world to him and disappointing him was one of his greatest fears.

 **“It’s alright. I thought it might have been.”** John Winchester stood tall just like his boys. His eyes were a chestnut brown and his hair was dark. The beard and mustache that wrapped around his mouth were peppered with gray hairs. He wasn’t an old man, but the stress of the job had taken its toll on him through the years. **“I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive.”** He smiled at Sam and Dean. **“She was the bad guy, right?”** John’s voice was soft as he spoke to his kids.

 **“Yes, sir,”** both Winchester sons replied in unison.

Riley knew this was a big moment for the brothers and didn’t want to meddle. She sat on a chair to the side and let them speak without her. The emotions hurling themselves around the room made her dizzy anyways.

“Doesn’t surprise me, it’s tried to stop me before.”

 **“The demon?”** Sam asked.

John nodded. **“It knows I’m close. It knows I’m gonna kill it. Not just exorcize it or send it back to hell, actually kill it.”**

“How?” Dean’s eyes glimmered with admiration as he studied the man he’d idolized his entire life.

 **“I’m working on that.”** Quiet filled the room. “I can’t take you guys with me. Not yet. **This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don’t want you all caught in the crossfire. I don’t want you hurt.”**

Sam wasn’t about to give up without a fight. He needed to go after the demon. He had waited long enough since Jess’ death to finally end it. **“You don’t have to worry about us.”**

 **“Of course I do.”** John smiled as his voice broke. **“I’m your father.”** He turned to Sam before speaking again. “Sammy, last time we saw each other, we had one hell of a fight.”

**“Yes, sir.”**

**“It’s good to see you again. It’s been a long time.”** All the Winchester men fought back the urge to cry at the reunion of their family. Riley’s cheeks were wet from the emotions she carried for them.

**“Too long.”**

A moment of love and understanding passed between Sam and his father. They wrapped their arms around each other and hugged for the first time in years. They clung on as Sam sniffled through his tears. As they stepped apart, John looked at his children with pride. Streams had flown from his eyes being with them again.

Before he could speak, a force grabbed John and thrust him through the air. He crashed into the small kitchen cabinets and groaned out at the impact. The Daevas had come for them.

Sam went to his father’s aid but was beaten to the ground. Dean shouted as the moment he had waited for, was ruined by the presence of evil before he too was thrown like a ragdoll. Riley ran to help and was flung into the hard wall. At that moment, Finn crawled under the bed and whined in fear.

All four hunters were being viciously attacked by the creatures. John yelled out in pain as they clawed at his body and face as they pinned him down.

Riley was barely conscious when Finn found his courage and ran to lick her cheek. She became slightly more aware and grounded as he whimpered with every lick.

Seeing he was free at the moment, Sam hurried to the bag of gear and took out a flare. **“Shut your eyes!”** he shouted. He lit the flare and rolled it into the middle of the room. Smoke and a blinding light took over the space and the Daevas screeched in agony at the light. Within seconds, they dissipated.

The group was coughing from the smoke and tried to get their bearings. Sam ran to John’s side and hooked his shoulder under his arm to get him off the ground and lead him out. Dean picked Riley up off the ground and cradled her in his arms as he ran out with her. He turned at the last moment and whistled loudly in Finn’s direction. The dog barked and scurried to follow them.

Finally, outside, they ran to the Impala. As they got to the car, Sam opened the door and Dean put Riley down on the seat. Her head was spinning from the blow she suffered in the fray and she struggled to gain her senses. Finn hopped in the car and curled up beside her, still whining.

Dean reached out to cup her face in his hands and turned her to look at him. “Sweetheart, are you with me?”

Riley groaned. “I think so.” Blood dripped down the side of her face and her eyes fought to focus.

“Keep your eyes open, Rye.” Dean grabbed a shirt from a duffle bag and held it to her cut. “Sam, what the fuck just happened?”

“They’re shadow creatures. I thought maybe the light would scare them off.”

John was still catching his breath. “Good thinking, kid.”

“We gotta go! Those things are gonna come back for us.” Sam hurried to get in the car, breathing through his injuries.

“No.” Dean turned to his father and fought the urge to be selfish. **“Dad, you can’t come with us.”**

 **“Dean! We should stick together,”** Sam pleaded.

 **“Sam, listen to me!”** Dean’s voice was stern and commanding. **“We almost got dad killed in there. Don’t you understand? They’re not gonna stop. They’re gonna use us to get to him. Meg was right. Dad’s vulnerable when he’s with us.”** He stopped as his words cut him deep and he looked at his father. **“He’s stronger without us around.”**

Sam desperately turned to look at John and reached out for him. “Dad, no. Please. After all this time we spent looking for you. After everything between us…please. **I gotta be a part of this fight.”**

 **“Sammy, this fight is just starting, and we are _all_ gonna have a part to play.”** John’s wounds hurt with every movement but his eyes stayed on his little boy. **“For now, you gotta trust me, son.”** He sniffled. “You gotta let me go, okay?”

Riley was coming around but had trouble focusing as all the emotions hit her like a bag of bricks. The ringing in her ears made it hard to hear their conversation.

The Winchesters only just now found each other again. Grief and sadness overtook them as they realized it was already time to say goodbye again. With a final look, and tears streaming from their eyes, no more words were spoken. John soaked up that last moment with his sons and turned to walk away. As he got to his truck he looked back one more time. **“Be careful, boys.”** John got into his truck as the door squeaked and then slammed shut. The truck quickly roared to life and he sped down the alleyway out of sight.

Dean handed the keys to Sam. **“Come on.”** He then got in the back next to a still disoriented Riley. Putting his arm around her, he pulled her close so she rested on his shoulder. Dean held the shirt in place against her injury. He too had hit his head and struggled to keep everything from spinning around him. Kissing her hair, he held her tight just glad they had all survived it.

Sam turned the keys in the ignition and threw the car into reverse. The Impala backed out onto the main road in the opposite direction and whipped down the street. Their only goal was to get as far away from that warehouse as fast as they could.

As the brake lights of the Chevy turned down the next street, Meg crept out from the shadows. She watched as the hunters made their escape with hate in her eyes. That night changed nothing. She was still going to do whatever it took to stop them and to end John Winchester. Their time would come and Meg would be ready for them.

——

Riley’s eyes fluttered as she began to come to. Her favorite beautiful green eyes stared down at her. His face was beaten to hell and a bandage covered a large cut on his forehead. Spots of blood had seeped through the clean cloth. Dean had a small smile on his face watching her wake up.

“Hey, beautiful. Good to see you again. How are you feeling?” Putting a hand on her head, Riley felt a bandage over a part of her scalp. Dean took her hand away gently. “Leave it be, Rye. We had to give you a couple stitches. It needs to heal.”

“Stitches?” her voice was weak and tired. “Wait, where’s Finn? I barely remember getting in the car. Was he with us?” She tried to sit up quickly to look around the room.

“Honey, he’s fine, I promise. Sam actually took the mutt with him outside just a few minutes ago. Poor guy isn’t handling everything too well.”

Riley breathed a sigh of relief as she rested back onto the pillow on the bed. They had found yet another dingy motel to stay for the night and recoup. “Are you, okay? Sam? …your dad?”

A soft laugh came from Dean’s throat. “You’re always more worried about everyone else before yourself. One of the many things I love about you.” He pushed her hair away from her face and looked into her piercing blue eyes. “God, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Dean’s love for Riley was so pure and it radiated from him like a beacon. But underneath that, there was a deep sadness. The night had been a complete failure and having to let his dad go was killing him inside. Dean was just trying to stay strong for her and Sam.

“Dean, you did the right thing. I may not remember most of it, but I can feel it in you.” His eyes welled up and he ran a hand down his face fighting the urge to cry. “Look at me, babe.” She squeezed the hand at her side. “You’re an incredible son. I know your dad must be so proud of you.”

Hearing those words fed his soul. How she always seemed to know what to say, would always be something he would never understand. Dean realized she was just special in that way. A tear betrayed him and ran down his cheek and she smiled up at him.

Riley scooted to the side and made room for her best friend as she opened the blankets up for him. Dean crawled inside and they faced each other as he laid down. He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same as they pulled each other close. Dean was safe there with her and she understood him. He didn’t have to be anything but himself with Riley.

She gave him a soft kiss on his lips before he nuzzled into her neck. Riley could feel the wet drops that fell from his face and ran across her skin. “I’m here, Dean. I got you.”

—-


	9. "Shifting Memories"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley's past comes back to haunt her and it's time for her to face what happened to her father as more answers come to life.

**Word Count: 8,036** **  
**

**Content Warning: language and violence**

******GIFS ARE NOT MY OWN****  
**

Sam and Dean closed the doors of the Impala behind them as they headed towards the motel. Both were worn out from the hunt they just wrapped up with a Tulpa. Not to mention the wanna-be ghost hunters they had to deal with. Riley had stayed behind to fully recover from her concussion. She pushed to go, but the boys were adamant that she rest up.

As they walked in the room, they saw Riley. She was sitting cross-legged with her guitar in her lap. Her hair sat high in a messy bun and her glasses sat comfortably on her face. Riley was in a pair of sleeping shorts and an oversized sweatshirt that belonged to one of the brothers. She decided a while ago that she had claimed it.

Finn sat beside her and to her other side were pictures sprawled out on the comforter. Her head shot up in their direction and they could see she had been crying. She quickly used her sleeve to wipe her eyes and faked a smile.

“Oh, hey guys.” Riley sniffled. “I thought you were gonna call when you were headed back.”

The two looked concerned but knew it was never going to turn out well if they pushed when it came to Riley. She was soft-hearted, but never wanted to show it. How broken she was after Deb’s death was almost embarrassing for her. It was important to her that she always fought to remain strong.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry. We just were only a short drive away. We crashed in the car last night.” Sam put down his duffle as Riley’s canine companion wagged his tail and hurried to greet the hunters. He bent down to pet him and say hello.

Dean had noticed a change in her behavior recently. He thought at first her concussion was affecting her, but he knew it was more than that. Walking over to her, he smiled softly and kissed her before moving a stray hair from her face. “We missed you. How are you feeling?”

Riley continued to try to keep up her act. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. I was able to take the stitches out last night.”

“Sweetheart,” Dean started as he crouched down in front of her. “You know I’m not talking about your head.”

Sam walked in their direction to sit on the opposite bed. “C’mon, Rye. You know you can talk to us.”

She wiped away another tear again as soon as it hit her skin. “Um,” Riley cleared her throat. “This week—it’ll be two years since I lost dad.” She glanced down at the photos to her side and sighed.

“Can I?” Dean asked with his hand extended towards the pictures. She nodded. As he picked them up he stacked them together and sat next to Sam.

Three photographs that Riley had held onto through the years were all she had left of her family. As he flipped through them, they finally got a better picture of the life Riley had lived. One was of her mother and father on the day she was born. Her mom laid in the hospital bed holding a swaddled Riley and Jackson beamed at his new daughter.

She realized it was time to open up to her family. Riley refused to let people into her past, but Sam and Dean weren’t just “people.”

“My mom’s name was Linda. She and my dad were head over heels for each other.”

“She’s beautiful,” Sam said.

Dean smiled. “I can see where you get the red in your hair.”

The next picture was of Jackson, Deb, and Riley in the diner. The three sat in front of a freshly baked pie. She couldn’t have been more than seven years old and was grinning a toothless smile from ear to ear. Covered in flour and wearing large oven mitts, she showed off her first homemade pie. Her family stood beside her with their arms around each other. Dean couldn’t help but let out a breathy chuckle at the little version of the woman he loved. They looked like a normal family.

“Deb always called dad, ‘Jax’. They were always super close since they were kids.”

In the final photo stood Riley and her father. Both had their hands on their hips in dramatic fashion in what appeared to be a Halloween picture. Jackson was dressed as Batman and Riley was Wonder Woman. The best part was that she was a grown woman in the picture. Even as an adult, she and Jack were incredibly close.

Both brothers let out small laughs at the picture and Riley could feel an emotion roll through them. It was love with a hint of jealousy. Even in living the life of a hunter, Jackson made time to be a real father. He was a proud parent, raising a young woman in a difficult and scary world. But he was never too busy to be with her or to just be “dad”.

“He was a special guy, wasn’t he?” Dean looked up at a tear-filled Riley.

“Yeah,” she whispered through the lump in her throat.

“You know, Dean and I met him a couple times. He was always trying to make us laugh.” Sam turned to his brother as he smiled. “Do you remember that time dad had to run out on an errand when we were kids and Jack was visiting? He stayed with us for the night and we watched movies?”

“Oh yeah!” Dean’s eyes lit up at the memory. “I totally forgot about that!” he replied tapping Sam on the chest. “He uh—took us out for pancakes in the morning and we went to the park. We spent the morning playing catch before dad came back.”

The left side of Riley’s mouth curled up in a small moment of joy. “Yep. Sounds like dad.” She put the guitar down as Finn jumped back up onto the bed to snuggle into her lap. “There wasn’t a single moment that I wasn’t proud to be that man’s daughter.” Tears urged themselves to fall as she sniffled again.

“He really loved you, Rye.” Sam looked again through the photos. “Even being that young, I still remember him talking about his little girl.”

Dean sighed as his hands came together between his relaxed legs. “Jack was an incredible guy and a _damn_ good hunter. I’m not surprised he raised someone like you.” His eyes turned to look at Riley. “Our dad didn’t do this stuff with us. We were too busy hunting to ever get to be kids. He did his best though.”

Sam swallowed hard imagining having Riley’s childhood. Finding the balance between training to hunt and just being a kid, was more than he could have ever hoped for. He was jealous that Riley got to have that, but loved her so much and knew it explained the heart she had.

“I know that I don’t talk about dad much.” Riley fidgeted with the ends of the sleeves of her sweatshirt. “It’s just–it’s too hard.”

“What happened to him, Rye?” Dean asked reaching out to touch her knee.

She took a deep breath and fixed her glasses before looking back up at them. “He and I were in town chasing a shapeshifter. The son of a bitch wasn’t making it easy to find him. We had spent the day doing recon and went back to the motel for the night.” Riley’s hands fidgeted more as she fought to keep talking. “Dad said he got a call, and he had to go handle something on his own. I tried to get him to let me come, but he insisted that he had to go alone. It–it didn’t make any sense. Since I was an adult, we _always_ went together. We were partners.” The familiar taste of tears softly hit her lips. “But I let him go and…he was weird before he left. He hugged me so tight and kept telling me how much he loved me. I _knew_ something was wrong, but he just wouldn’t budge on it. He kissed me on my head and said ‘goodbye’. That uh–that was the last time I saw him.”

“Was it the shapeshifter? Did he come after your dad?” Sam was eager to hear more.

Riley shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

Dean’s brow furrowed and he was confused. “You don’t _think_ so?”

“We don’t _know_ what happened.” Her voice began to crack and more tears fell. The blue in her eyes was piercing as they contrasted from the red in them from crying. “Your dad. He was the one that found him.”

“What?” both brothers asked in unison.

“Why wouldn’t dad tell us that?” Dean looked at Sam.

“I was getting ready for bed. It was pouring rain outside and I heard a knock at the door. John was there. He was soaking wet and told me…” The memories seemed to leave cuts in her throat as they formed into words. She had never told anyone about that night. John was even the one that told Deb what happened. “He told me he got a weird call from dad. That he had told him to meet him at some abandoned barn down the highway. John said he didn’t give him any other info. When your dad got there, he saw my dad’s truck. So he went inside, and he saw…” Riley covered her face with her hands that were covered by her long sleeves. After a moment she tried to compose herself. “…he saw dad…on the floor of the barn. I guess he ran to go help him, but he was already gone. There weren’t any marks on him, no sign of a struggle, not even any evidence that anyone or _anything_ else was there.”

Sam and Dean both looked bewildered at the story. “So…nothing? Dad didn’t find _anything_?” Dean found it slightly hard to believe that a hunter as good as his dad wouldn’t have been able to find something in that barn.

“Nope. But, John had brought his body back—back to me. I checked him myself. It was like he just collapsed. We brought him in to get an autopsy done. They didn’t find a single thing wrong with him. The coroner said that it was as though he just stopped breathing.” Riley felt a small sigh of relief after finally telling what had happened that night. It was like the burden had lightened in some small way. “We stole his body back of course and brought him back to Lawrence. We knew Deb would want to be there when we gave him his hunter’s funeral.”

Dean took a beat before pulling her over onto their bed after grabbing her hand. “Rye, do you _want_ to know what happened to your dad?

She nodded as her eyes welled up again her voice breaking. “I _have_ to.”

Sam put his hand on her shoulder. “Then we’ll do it together.”

The love Sam and Dean were showing her and the bond they had formed, was as real as anything she’d ever known. She knew that Jackson and Deb were gone, and it might always hurt that they were. But she realized, she had made her own family and it was one she knew any other hunter would kill for. Nothing would ever come between her and her boys.

Riley sniffled again as she lifted her glasses to wipe under her eyes before adjusting them. “Ugh. I’m sure I’m a fucking mess,” she said chuckling. “I’m gonna go get cleaned up. I’ll be out in a bit.” As she headed towards the bathroom she turned around. They both gave her a small smile as she went into the room and closed the door.

“Sam, something about that story doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Me neither. Dad didn’t find _anything_? A healthy hunter just dropped dead?”

“Nuh-uh. I don’t buy it. We gotta talk to him about this.”

Sam scoffed. “Well yeah, but who knows when we’ll actually talk to him again?”

“Screw it. Whether he picks up or not, I gotta try.” Dean got up and flipped his phone open to find the number for John’s new burner. He closed the door behind him as he went outside and stood by the car.

 _“You’ve reached John Winchester. Call my son Dean if this is an emergency. 785-555-2476”_ The tone beeped.

“Dad. I know we said we were gonna let things settle before we reached out again, but I gotta talk to you. Riley just told us about Jack and what happened to him. She still has so many questions and I don’t think she’s gonna be able to move on until she has some answers. Please call me back. I wanna help her but I need to know what you know, dad.” Dean closed the phone and leaned against Baby. There was more to Jackson’s death. And for Riley’s sake, he was going to find out what.

——

Later that night, Sam and Riley sat in the motel room. Sitting in a chair by the window, Sam worked on bettering his guitar skills while Riley coached him. She was lying on her side on the bed, practically spooning with her furry friend. Her fingers ran through Finn’s soft fur. She watched her “brother” stumble through the chorus of The Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”. Moments like that brought her so much joy. She felt almost normal.

Dean walked through the door on a phone call. “Yeah…well thanks for the help, Cliff. Let me know if you get wind of anything else. Take care, man.” Closing his phone he turned to Sam hearing to his attempt to play. “Dude, _why_ are you trying to torture us?”

“Be nice!” Riley teased. “He’s doing great.”

Sam scoffed. “We always miss you so much when you’re gone,” he said with sarcasm.

“Yeah. Where were you all afternoon anyway?”

“Well, after we talked today, I made a couple calls.” Dean walked over towards Riley and handed her a newspaper article as she sat up. “You and your dad never found that shapeshifter, did you?”

“No, we didn’t.” She sat up and stopped to look over the clipping before reading out loud. “Bethany Giles, 22, of Fargo, North Dakota–” she paused. “That’s where we were hunting.”

“I know. Keep reading.” Dean flipped the chair from the small table so he could sit on it backward, his legs straddling it.

“–claims to have been attacked by her boyfriend, James Landon. She was beaten and stabbed within an inch of her life while held captive by Landon. Giles is currently on life support. Evidence confirmed that Landon was, in fact, the perpetrator. However, the family of Landon says that he was with them at the time of the assault. That there was no possibility he could have taken part in the events. James Landon adamantly states his innocence and that he was not involved. He was arrested this past weekend and waits to stand trial for the attack on Ms. Giles.”

“One guy, in two places at once? Sound familiar? And that’s not all. This is only one of three cases in the last two and a half years that tell the same story. _Except_ —” Dean looked at Riley.

“–except none of the other victims survived. Their throats were slit.” A look of shock came over her.

“Only reason this girl is still alive is because one of her sisters showed up for a movie night they had planned. Saw the guy herself as he ran out of the house.”

“Oh my god. That’s our old case. This is the exact one we went to Fargo for. Those other two murders brought us there.”

Sam put the guitar down against the wall. “So the shapeshifter’s still out there.”

“Yep. It must have gone into hiding after Riley and Jack came to town. No one’s heard from it since.” The eldest Winchester looked at his brother. “Cliff? One of dad’s old contacts? Says he, another hunter, and Rye went after this thing themselves after Jackson died. They worked it for two months and didn’t find a thing.” He turned to Riley. “Sweetheart, you never told us that you went back for it with them.”

Riley looked up from the clipping to find the gaze of the green eyes looking back at her. There was silence as she couldn’t find the words. She quickly got up and marched outside, closing the door behind her.

Both Winchesters sat confused at the turn of events. “What the fuck just happened?” Dean asked.

——

A few hours later, there was a sound at the door. Riley came in with a bottle of whiskey in hand. She had been drinking as she stumbled into the door.

“Rye! Where have you been? We’ve been calling you.” Sam ran to her side. “Dean’s out looking for you.”

“I’m fine,” she slurred. “Can’t a girl go for a walk with her good friend, Mr. Daniels?” Riley waved the bottle in front of her and let out a small chuckle.

“Wow, you are _drunk_.”

“And _you_ ,” she poked his nose, “are very observative, Samuel.” Riley tripped a little as Sam caught her.

“Okay,” Sam said taking the bottle. “I think we’re all good on the whiskey now.”

“Aw, party pooper.” She fell onto the bed on her back and sighed as she closed her eyes.

The door popped open and Dean hurried inside. “Sam, I can’t find her anywhere. I’m starting to freak out, man.”

“Uh–Dean?”

As his brother pointed to the bed, Dean ran to Riley’s side. “Where the _hell_ have you been? Why haven’t you been answering your phone? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Even though she was too drunk to really function, her empathic ability kicked in. The amount of worry that spilled from Dean made her even dizzier than she was before. She sat up with some difficulty trying to fight off nausea. “I’m fine, Dean. I’m a big girl.”

Sam went to get a glass of water and brought it over to her, nudging her to drink.

Dean pushed the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Rye, you had us worried about you all night. Why did you run out earlier?”

As she swallowed the water she wiped her mouth. “Because its– it’s my fault.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Sam sat on the other bed with Finn who wasn’t too keen on the smell of alcohol.

“I was–I was off my game after dad died.” Her words seem to string together as the alcohol made it difficult to speak. “This bastard was so evil, guys. He slit the throats of his victims when he was done with them. It was brutal.” Riley felt so much guilt that it felt as though it would eat her alive. “I shouldn’t have stopped hunting. I gave up. Now another woman is dead because of me.”

“Sweetheart, it isn’t your fault.” Putting his hand gently on her back, Dean tried to comfort her. “This guy has been slipping through hunters’ fingers for years now.”

Leaning forward, Sam closed some of the distance between him and Riley. “He’s right, Rye. You can’t blame yourself.”

“My dad…” tears dripped down her face. “He would be so disappointed in me.”

“No, he wouldn’t.” Dean’s voice was slightly firm. “You _know_ your dad would have understood.”

After a moment of silence, Riley looked up to look at them both. “I have to make this right. I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t.” She stood up and wavered a little with the whiskey still in effect.

Sam chuckled lightly as he and Dean stood to support her. “Okay. We’ll go to Fargo. But _tomorrow_. Tonight? I think it’s safe to say you need some rest.”

“Can I sleep in the back seat? It’s a long drive to North Dakota,” she pleaded.

“Pretty sure that’s as close to a middle ground as we’re gonna get, Sammy.” Dean kissed her forehead and went to pack their bags.

——

The soft sound of Journey played in the background as Riley slowly came to. Her eyes were fighting to open and her head was pounding. She groaned as she reached for her head and sat up.

“Morning.” Sam sat in the front seat with Finn sitting between the boys. He gave her a soft smile knowing that she must have been pretty hung over.

“Ugh. It’s so bright,” she said pulling the jacket Dean had covered her with over her face and leaning against the seat.

He could see her in the rearview mirror. “Oh, yeah. We’ve all been there.”

“Are we close?”

“About an hour out, sweetheart.”

“Coffee.” Riley groaned. “Must…have coffee.”

Sam let out a breathy chuckle. “I could go for some coffee.”

——

The hunters had found a small food truck that sold authentic Mexican food. Dean swore it was the cure for a bad hangover. Sitting at one of the small picnic tables, Riley sat covering her eyes. Finn laid on the ground beside her watching everyone go by. As he walked over to the table, Sam carried a tray of coffee cups. He sat them down and handed one to Riley.

“You’re a godsend, Sam.” She sipped at her coffee and hummed at the taste. “Oh, sweet nectar of the Gods.”

Dean walked over with the warm food and joined them. “Here.” He pulled out a pair of sunglasses he had swiped from a kiosk nearby.

She put them on and sighed in relief. “If I haven’t told you both today, I love you.” Riley tore into the burrito and took a large bite before continuing, “…so much.” The brothers chuckled as they got started on their own breakfasts.

Sam and Dean looked at each other with discomfort. One of them was going to have to talk to her about what the plan was. The youngest Winchester widened his eyes as he insisted Dean should be the one to do it. The older brother’s eyes fell for a moment as he twisted his coffee in his hands.

“Rye?” Chewing her most recent bite, she looked at them. “Sam and I talked. We think the best place to start,” Dean hesitated, “would be the motel you and Jack were staying at. Then we could work from there.” His finger tapped on the side of the cup waiting for her response. They knew this wasn’t going to be like other hunts.

She slowed her eating and swallowed. The bite was hard to get down over the lump in her throat. Riley hadn’t been back there since _that_ night. She took a sip of her coffee and her eyes cast down. This was the only way they were going to get answers and find the shifter. Riley had to face her past.

——

Baby’s engine purred under them as they came to a stop. In the front seat, Riley’s eyes sat fixated on the motel in front of them. _“Fargo’s Lodge”_ Neither brothers spoke as they let her take in the moment.

Sam cleared his throat after a moment. “You said room 13 right?” She nodded, never taking her eyes off the room ahead of them.

The parking lot was nearly empty and no one seemed to be around. Though the sun was shining, Riley felt as though the clouds had rolled in above her.

“Do you want us to go with you?”

Riley shook her head and swallowed hard. A large hand reached out and took hers. She turned to see Dean looking back at her. His face was softened and filled with concern. He wanted so badly to protect her from her memories.

“No.” Her voice was almost a whisper and her pain was evident. “I gotta do this.”

Willing herself forward, Riley opened the door and stood staring at the room number. Never breaking contact with it, she closed the door behind her.

She softly tapped on the door waiting for a reply. When no one answered, Riley, took out a small pick locking kit from her pocket. Looking around her, she worked to pop the lock until it finally clicked. Her breath hitched in her chest as she realized how terrified she was to open that door. She mustered up what strength she had and with one final deep breath, she closed her eyes and turned the knob.

As the door was pushed open, Riley forced herself to open her eyes. Suddenly, flashes of moments long gone rang through her. They didn’t even seem to happen in her mind, but all around her. She was reliving them. The sound of her father’s laughter flooded the room and she trembled. Riley could see her sitting with him the night before his death as they debated the “best bands of all time”. As quickly as it came, the moment passed and she could hear the rain pouring outside as she heard John’s voice. _“Riley, it’s your dad. I’m so sorry, kiddo.”_

Sam and Dean watched and waited eagerly in the car as she stood in the doorway frozen. In an instant, she flew from the entrance and disappeared into the room in a sprint. They both hurried out of the car to chase after her with Finn following behind. When they ran inside, they saw the door to the bathroom open and the sounds of sobbing and retching came from it. As they neared the door Dean went inside and Sam stayed with Finn close enough to peer in.

Riley was hung over the toilet. She was hysterical and had been vomiting. Dean fell to his knees to hold her and pull back her hair. When she turned to see him, she fell into his chest and sobbed. He rocked her with his arms around her. “Shhh. It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here.” Dean turned his head to look at his brother. They both shared a moment of sadness between them not knowing how to help her.

Between her sobs, she raised her head to look at them both. “I–I saw dad. He was here. I could feel him.” Riley was shaking from the emotions and memories.

Sam went to run a washcloth under cool water as Dean ushered her into the bedroom to sit her down. He returned with the wet cloth and helped to clean her face.

Still crying, but more coherent, Riley went on. “It was like I was reliving the memories.” She sniffled hard. “Like flashbacks, but _real_.” Dean rubbed her back as she tried to put her words together. “But the room. It–it’s _the_ room. The one from my nightmares. I didn’t remember the wallpaper until now. The green patterned wallpaper.”

“The one with your dad finding you?” Sam asked as he crouched in front of her.

She nodded. “Why would I dream that? Why would it be in _this_ room?” Riley turned to face Dean. “Babe, I’m so confused. What’s happening to me?”

Pulling her in tight, he rested his chin on her head. His voice was gentle. “I don’t know, Rye.”

——

The team had retreated to a different motel that night. The day had been taxing on everyone and Sam and Dean worried about Riley’s emotional state. She had been in a weird and vacant fog since they had left the lodge. In the morning, Finn stayed behind in the room so they could get some intel.

As they walked down the street, the three reviewed what they had learned. “Alright,” Sam started. “So Bethany is still in intensive care. They have her still under to recover from her intensive surgery. The stabbing was pretty ugly.”

Throwing her head back Riley groaned. “Dammit! I can’t believe I let that son of a bitch go. A part of me doesn’t even want it to be the shifter and just some psycho. I wouldn’t be able to blame myself that way.”

Dean took her hand. “Rye, you didn’t let him go. He’s just good.”

Sam went on. “So James’ family lives in an apartment building down the street. We need to go have a talk with them and see how sure they are that he was with them that night. The attack happened around 8:00. That’s when the sister showed up.”

In true Winchester fashion, Riley was being swallowed whole by her guilt. Maybe this wasn’t even what they were thinking. But odds were, unfinished business had returned to Fargo.

——

Riley took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Sam and Dean stood at her sides as they heard someone coming their way. The door opened and a middle-aged woman stood in the entryway.

“Hi. Mrs. Landon?” Riley asked. The woman nodded. It was obvious she had been crying. “We’re so sorry to bother you. I’m Riley. These are my friends, Sam and Dean. We go to school with James and were shocked at the news. I was kind of hoping we could talk to you?”

Mrs. Landon’s soft brown hair was up in a neat bun. She was a very clean cut woman who seemed to come from quite a bit of money. Her face was soft and her voice quaked. “Of course. Please, come in.”

Walking into the apartment, the three couldn’t help but stand in awe of the place. It was huge and beautifully decorated. They found their way to the couch as they were ushered in. It was white and they all checked to make sure they were clean enough to sit on it, wiping the back of their jeans.

“Would you like some tea?” Mrs. Landon asked as she began to pour from a still warm china teapot on the table in front of her.

“Sure. Thank you, so much.” Riley took the cup handed to her and the brothers did the same.

Dean took a sip and tried to hide his face of disgust. Tea was never his thing. He quickly moved to the bowl of sugar. Dumping lump after lump in his cup, he tried to make it taste remotely drinkable. Dean feigned a smile of gratitude as he tried to drink it again. After realizing it was still terrible, he fought to swallow it as he put the cup down on the table again.

“It was so nice of you to come all the way down here.” Mrs. Landon stirred her cup with a small and delicate spoon. “I know the university is quite a drive away.”

“Not a problem at all, Mrs. Landon,” Sam stated. “We just had to hear from a reliable source about what happened with James. We couldn’t believe it.”

Her face turned to that of slightly stern. “As you shouldn’t. My James would never hurt anyone. And Bethany of all people? He loves her so much. Even bought her a ring to propose in the next few weeks.” Her eyes welled up as she tried to keep her voice from breaking.

“So, James was here with you the night of that attack?” Dean went between slouching and sitting up. He had no idea how to present himself in a fancier environment.

“Yes. The entire night. His father and I have the children over every Friday night. Bethany usually joins us, but she had plans that night with her sister who came in from out of town.”

Riley put down her cup and tried to read the woman in front of her. “Mrs. Landon, what time was James here? When did he leave?”

“We start dinner at 6:00 but he got here a half an hour early. He and his father played a game of darts in the billiard room and enjoyed a few drinks together. James couldn’t have left here any earlier than 9:00.”

“And how far is his place from here?”

“Oh, roughly an hour?” James’ mother replied.

Riley could tell she was being nothing but forthright. There was desperation seeping through her and her heart ached to see her son. As Mrs. Landon turned to retrieve cloth napkins and lemon shortbread cookies, Riley turned to her partners and whispered. “She’s on the up and up. James was here.”

The saddened mother placed the cookies on the table and told them to help themselves. Dean smiled and grabbed four as he began to stuff his face. They were delicious and were getting rid of the foul taste of tea. Riley cleared her throat and widened her eyes before sending him a thought. _“Winchester! Put down…the cookies.”_ With his mouth still full, he placed the others on a napkin in front of him in disappointment.

Sam took another sip of his tea. “Have you been to see Bethany, Mrs. Landon?”

“Oh, I tried. The Giles family wanted nothing to do with me and ordered my husband and me from the hospital.” She began to cry. “I love that girl as though she were my own.”

“I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened.” Riley got up to sit next to the mother and took her hands. “We _know_ James isn’t responsible. We believe you.”

Mrs. Landon squeezed her hands. “You sweet thing. Thank you. All of you. You don’t know what it means to me to know that James has support behind him.”

“Of course,” Sam said sweetly. “We’ve taken up enough of your time. Thank you so much for the tea.”

“Please come back anytime you want. You three are always welcome here.” She walked them to the door and saw them out.

As they started down the hallway they made their way to the elevator. The doors closed and Riley punched the wall. “Goddammit!”

“Riley, we’re gonna get him,” Sam said with a hand on her shoulder.

“But even if we get him, we have no way of proving that James is innocent. He will spend years in jail on attempted murder. Mrs. Landon will lose her son.” She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

Dean knew the pain of feeling he had failed others in doing his job and gently took her arm. “This job, it sucks, Rye. Sometimes, we can make it right. We stop the bad guy and save the day. Others? We do what we can and have to let that be enough.”

“I know.” A tear fell from her eye as the elevator door opened. Riley’s tone shifted and a hint of anger bit through her words. “This ends now.”

——

A frustrated Riley sat tirelessly working on Sam’s laptop. A beer bottle sat beside her that she nursed through her research. Sam and Dean sifted through newspaper articles and made phone calls trying to get more information while Finn had fallen asleep at Sam’s feet.

“Ugh!” Riley closed the laptop and got up in a huff. “I can’t find anything! This thing leaves no trace behind. I broke into the police database and looked at the records. The only evidence they found was DNA from James.” Both of her hands ran up to her hair and grasped it. Her knuckles were bruised from her fit in the elevator.

“I’m not gonna lie, the son of a bitch is good.” Dean took a sip from his beer.

Leaning back onto his hands Sam relaxed in his chair. “Yeah. The footage from the Landon’s building showed James coming in and leaving at the exact times that Mrs. Landon told us. It’s definitely not tampered with at all.” He sighed. “It sucks the cops don’t see that as enough to go against the DNA.”

“Wait,” Riley began. “There’s gotta be someone with some form of surveillance in the area of Bethany’s place.” She grabbed her jacket and threw it over her. “I’m gonna go find it.”

Dean pushed back his chair to stand. “We’ll come with you.”

“No, it’ll be quicker if I go alone. Can I take the car, babe?”

“Of course.” He tossed her the keys. “You sure you wanna go alone?”

“I’ll be fine. Just gimme a couple hours. You guys keep digging. I love you.” She headed out the door and the roar of the engine came on fast.

——

The boys had just finished dinner as the Impala could be heard parking outside. She had a very distinct purr that they knew all too well. Dean hurried to open the door as he put his beer down. Riley slowly walked in looking defeated.

“Nothing?” Dean asked.

“Nope. Jack friggin squat.” Tossing her jacket onto the bed she grabbed a beer and popped it open. “This is going nowhere.”

“We’re not giving up. It just might take some time.” Sam’s voice was reassuring and full of love.

“We don’t have time!” Riley added in frustration. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. “I just–I think I just need some time to myself.”

Dean looked at Sam and nodded. “Sure. No problem. We uh–we’ll take the mutt out for a walk and you can do whatever you need to. We’ll take our time.”

She looked at him, feeling the love and patience he truly felt for her, “thank you, Dean.”

“Of course.” He kissed her head. “Call us if you need anything or want us to bring you home some grub.”

As Dean held open the door, Sam put the leash on Finn and looked back at her. “It’s gonna be ok. I promise.” Pressing his lips together, his dimples showed as he forced a half smile as they left.

——

Riley took the time alone to gather her thoughts. She had taken a long hot shower and decided to lounge on the bed with the radio playing. Music always seemed to help, but she still couldn’t get Mrs. Landon’s face out of her head. Riley felt to blame for ruining their family. She held the original article about the attack. The picture of the beautiful young woman whose life hung in the balance looked back at her.

_“If I had just done my job, none of this would have happened.”_

A knock at the door pulled her back into focus and she hopped up to answer. Riley looked through the peephole to see Dean. Confused, she opened the door. He smiled. “Hey, sorry I must have lost my key.”

She moved for him to come inside as he kissed her cheek. Something didn’t feel right but she couldn’t quite place it. “No biggie. Where’s Sam and Finn?” Riley walked across the room to throw on her sweater.

“Uh–” he started. “They’ll be back soon. I decided to come back on my own so we could spend some time together. His face grew devilish and his eyes filled with hunger as he put his hands on her waist.

Riley was hesitant as her gut instinct and empathic abilities kicked in. “You seem…weird.”

Dean laughed. “Weird? Is it weird that I just wanted to spend time with you? C’mon, baby. We haven’t had time alone in too long.” He pulled her in closer.

“…baby?” She could hear a low growl in his mind. That was not Dean Winchester. Riley shoved him off and readied herself. “You’re not Dean!”

His face changed and a smirk grew on his face that sent chills up her spine. The eyes staring back at her flickered as those familiar green eyes became a strange white before changing back. “What gave me away?”

“Dean would never call me ‘baby’.”

“Ah, rookie mistake,” he said snapping his fingers. “Guess I just got carried away in character.”

“What the _hell_ are you doing here?”

“You think I don’t keep tabs on any hunters that come through here?” The shifter snickered. “There’s a reason none of you fucking morons have caught up to me,” he added as he stepped towards her. “But I should be asking you the same question.” Emphasizing every word, he continued, “what the hell are _you_ doing here?”

“What are you talking about?’

It continued to step towards her as she stepped backward. “When I saw you and your ‘ _partners_ ’ in town, I was shocked. I knew hunters would come sniffing around so I kept my eye on the Landon’s building. What I wanna know, is _what are you?_ There’s no way you survived. I made sure you were dead. It’s just a shame I didn’t get to your father.” The thing wearing Dean’s skin grew more aggressive and Riley felt its urge to kill.

“You’re insane.” She had unknowingly backed herself into a corner. Riley’s blood ran cold as she stared up at the thing pretending to be the love of her life.

“You should be rotted in the ground somewhere after two years. _This_ time when I kill you, I’ll make sure you _stay_ dead.” It scoffed in disbelief. “You are so blinded by love that you let me in last time because I looked like your “daddy”. But how poetic that it should be your _boyfriend_ that ends your pathetic little life this time. You should know, this really will break his heart.”

The hand that she knew only in love made a fist and struck her in the face. She knew this was it for her. A large knife was unsheathed from its leather cover attached to his belt loop. She shook in fear but she wouldn’t go out without a fight. As he lunged at her, Riley grabbed his wrist and used all her strength to hold him back. The knife slowly edged its way in her direction.

At that moment, the door opened and a shocked Sam and Dean took in the moment. “Riley!” they screamed as they hurried towards her. Finn was off his leash by then and hurdled over the beds in a full charge. With his teeth bared, he jumped onto the shifter. His bite took hold of the monster’s shoulder as he forced the evil thing away from his owner. The creature howled at the pain and swung the knife in his defense. Finn whimpered without releasing him as the blade caught a slice into his muzzle.

Dean drew his gun and fired several silver rounds into the attacker’s back. With one final look at Riley, it fell to the ground as the life faded from him. Finn released his grasp from the corpse.

Riley was still in the corner, shaking. Her lip was bleeding and she looked dazed. Dean ran to her and took her face in his hands. “Sweetheart? Riley, you okay?” his fear coursed through him as she searched her for injuries.

“I think so.” She looked down at the body in front of her as Finn came up to her. He whimpered as he pushed past Dean’s hands to lick her face. “Hey,” she said rubbing his head. “Thanks, buddy.”

Smiling at the canine, Dean rubbed his ears and head. “Good boy.”

Everyone was still catching their breath as Sam dropped his weapon onto the bed. Remembering their first run in with a shifter, he smirked with a scoff. “Dean, how many times are you gonna have to kill yourself?”

——

Sam came back in the room after disposing of the body. He was dirty and carrying a shovel. “Well, I don’t think anyone will find it. I would have burned it, but there’s nowhere around that someone wouldn’t have seen it.”

“Thanks, Sammy. Don’t need the cops finding _another_ me.”

Scoffing in a moment of humor, Sam went to take a shower.

Riley sat in a daze as she pet Finn and leaned against the headboard. His nose has been cleaned up and he was lucky it hadn’t cut him deep. She stared down at the bloody floor beside her.

The bed dipped next to her and Dean joined her. His hand took hers and she jerked away before looking up at him. She was still in a state of shock and seeing Dean startled her for a brief moment. He sighed as he thought, _“fuck. She’s scared of me.”_ Sadly, he stood to give her her space before she reached to grab his shirt.

Riley looked up at him. “I’m okay. I’m sorry. I’m just–a little jumpy is all.”

He sat beside her once again. “Are you sure?”

She could feel such a deep sorrow as he wondered if things would be different between them now. Riley cupped her hand to the side of his face as her thumb ran over the stubble on his jaw. “I’m sure.” She pulled him in to kiss him before whispering, “I love you, Dean Winchester.”

“I love you so _damn_ much, Rye,” he replied as his forehead met hers and he closed his eyes. Dean took the moment to soak her up. Her smell, the touch of her skin, the warmth he felt when he held her…it felt like home to him.

As they broke apart, Dean looked down at the golden pup that laid beside her. Petting Finn, he smiled at him, grateful that he had saved the woman he loved. “You know, you’re not so bad, mutt. Looks like you’re a hunter after all.”

——

Back on the road, Riley finally broke the silence as she sat in the front seat with Dean’s arm around her. “Guys, I gotta tell you something.”

Sam had been reading in the back and immediately closed his book to give her his attention. “What’s up?”

“The shifter, it…said something.”

Dean’s brow furrowed and he looked back and forth between her and the road. He waited anxiously to hear what she had to say.

“It–it told me that it thought I was dead. That _it_ had killed me two years ago.”

“What?” Dean said in a state of confusion. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know. But it was so sure of itself. It even said it was after he had shifted into my dad. I just–I don’t know what to think.” Riley pulled herself away from Dean for a moment so she could shift to look at them both. “You don’t think it has anything to do with my nightmare, do you?”

“I don’t know, Rye.” Sam knew it definitely went deeper than it all appeared. “What I _do_ know is with your abilities growing, it’s completely possible that they’re tied together. Maybe we just don’t understand what that means yet.” Riley sighed as she racked her brain trying to figure it all out. “I mean, you even were getting flashbacks. That’s _new_. Who _knows_ what else you can do?”

“Well what about you, Sam?” she asked. “Has anything else happened for you? The premonitions and the one time you used the telekinesis?”

Dean listened intently hoping the answer wouldn’t be what he was afraid of. The fact that Riley was growing more powerful every day still worried him.

“No. Not at all.” She could feel Sam’s honesty and it left her even more confused. “Hey,” he said trying to regain her attention. “We’re gonna figure it all out.”

“Sam’s right. We do this together, remember?” Dean added as he shot her a loving look. As worried as he was for her, there wasn’t a thing in the world that would tear him from her side. Not only was he madly in love with Riley, but she was the best friend he had ever had. He would never let anything change that. Dean took her hand and pulled it to his lips to kiss it as he drove on.

The boys helped to soothe her worries to an extent, but the unknown was too much. What really happened in the motel room the night Jackson died? Why were her abilities growing so quickly and developing into more? Riley was scared by the questions but she would never stop until she found the answers. Dad wouldn’t want her to.

Pulling out her picture of her and Jack in their Halloween costumes, she smiled as that beautiful memory warmed her heart. It was fitting that the shifter died on the anniversary of Jackson’s death. She flipped the photo over to see her father’s handwriting. Dated the year before he died, it read: _“You’ll always be my Wonder Woman. Remember, baby girl, ‘Munroes fight ‘til the end’.”_ The memory of Jack’s motto whispered in her mind as determination filled her soul.

_“‘Til the end, dad.”_

_——_


	10. "Provenance"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherever an antique painting of a family goes, death seems to follow. But Sam's eyes have gone elsewhere as he meets someone new.

**Word Count: 9,084**

**Content Warning: language and violence**

**DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.**

The bar was buzzing that Friday night. Mostly filled with 20-somethings, the live band played over the chatter. It was slightly crowded and smelt of spilled liquor.

Riley sat with Sam as he checked newspapers for possible cases. She was fighting to keep recent events off her mind. Obsessing over the questions with no answers wouldn’t help.

She was enjoying the band. Riley’s knees were crossed and her foot swayed and bounced to the music. The mixed drink in her hand had a small red straw that she kept close to her mouth. It was fruitier than her usuals, but it was damn good.

Dean was over at the bar getting more drinks and talking to an attractive blonde woman. She seemed to be flirting with the hunter. Sam gave a scoff and looked at Riley. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

“What? The blonde? Pfft. Honey, I am not threatened by her in the _least_.” Riley gave a playful smile as she turned towards the bar. “Besides, I trust Dean.”

After the woman handed him a napkin, she grazed Dean’s arm as he walked away. He sat down with his family and flung the napkin on the table. A phone number was written on it with a heart. “That–is for you, my friend.” Dean’s cocky smile was too big for his own good as he looked at his brother.

“Oh, yeah. And she didn’t seem at _all_ interested in you.” Sam let out a breathy laugh as he kept reading.

“I told her, I’m a locked down man.” Leaning over, he kissed Riley before going back to his conversation. “Look, man. I’m just trying to help you out here.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need your help getting dates, Dean.”

“Well, you’re not doing so well on your own that’s for sure.” Riley’s foot gave Dean’s shin a tap and he looked at her. “What?”

Sam looked irritated and his voice confirmed it. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“He didn’t mean anything by it, Sam,” Riley added as she shot Dean a look. He put his hands up in surrender. “Anyway, show Dean what you found.”

Pulling the newspaper back in front of him, Sam replied, “Alright, **Mark and Ann Telesca of New Paltz, New York, were both found dead in their home just a few days ago. Throats were slit, no prints, no murder weapons, and all doors and windows were locked from the inside.”**

 **“Could just be your garden-variety murder,”** Dean added as he sipped at his glass.

With the straw slightly in her mouth, Riley swiveled in his direction. “Eh, not according to your dad.”

Dean suddenly became more engaged at the mention of John. **“What do you mean?”**

Sam turned John’s hunter’s journal to face his brother and show him the opened page. **“Dad noted three murders in the same area of upstate New York. First one, 1912. The second one in 1945, and the third in 1970.** Exact same thing as the Telesca’s. Houses were locked from the inside, throats were slit, etcetera. But so much time had passed between each murder that no one could see a pattern.”

“Well, except for John,” Riley interrupted.

“Right. He was always keeping an eye out for another one.”

 **“And now we got one.** ” This case had Dean’s attention knowing that this was a pet project of his dad’s.

“Mm-hmm,” Riley agreed through sipping her drink. She sighed after she swallowed. “Not gonna lie, this one definitely seems worth checking out.”

 **“We can’t pick this up till first thing, though, right?”** Dean downed the rest of his glass.

Sam looked back at him. “Unfortunately, yeah.”

“Great.” Walking over to stand behind Riley he moved her hair and exposed her neck. He hovered over her neck and his breath got heavy. “Because I have a _smoking_ hot girl I gotta get alone ASAP.” Dean kissed her gently under her ear. The heat coming from his mouth sent somersaults through her stomach.

Chuckling at them, Sam waved the couple off. “Yes, _please_ leave if you’re gonna be all over the woman who is practically my sister.”

Riley stood with a grin on her face as she tossed her favorite leather jacket over her shoulder. She leaned over and kissed Sam on the cheek. “Love you too, bro.”

As they turned to leave, Dean draped his arm over her shoulder. He whispered something in her ear that made her giggle and playfully push him away.

——

Sam came out of an old Victorian style home. The Impala waited parked at the curb as Dean and Riley sat curled up in the back seat. They were both asleep. The young Winchester leaned in through the window with a mischievous smile as he blared the horn. Both hunters jumped and gasped, startled by the noise. Sam laughed and got in the driver’s seat.

“Oh, Sam…” Riley held her forehead. “Not cool.”

Dean’s sunglasses covered his eyes as he glared at his brother. “Yeah. Dick move, dude.”

Still coming down from the hilarity of his prank, Sam filled them in. **“I just swept the Telesca house with the EMF. It’s clean. And last night while** you two were ‘out’…”

Turning towards Riley, Dean chuckled. “Mm. Good times.” She gave him a flirty look and kissed his neck.

**“…I checked the history of the house. No hauntings, no violent crimes, nothing strange about the Telescas themselves, either.”**

Fighting through her hangover, Riley tried to engage in the case. “Well, if it’s not the place or the people, maybe it’s one of the _contents_ of the house. Cursed object?”

Sam shook his head. “Nope. House is empty. No furniture or anything.”

A disoriented Dean looked back at him. **“Where’s all their stuff?”**

——

The dirty Impala sat among expensive cars. Mostly sporty styles and convertibles. A host guided guests to the entrance of an auction gallery as valets parked their cars. Classical music swept through the air giving the event an all too classy feel.

Attendees of the auction were dressed in suits and formal attire. Chatter about the auction sent whispers through the room. The entire place was filled with antiques and priceless collectibles.

In jeans, canvas, boots, and leather, the hunters stood out like sore thumbs as they walked around.

 **“Silent auctions, estate sales–it’s like a garage sale for W.A.S.P.s, if you ask me.”** Dean grabbed an hors-d'oeuvre from a passing waiter and tossed it into his mouth.

A gentleman in a black suit and tie interrupted them. “Can I help you three?”

Still chewing his food, Dean used a mocking fancy voice to reply, **“I’d like some champagne, please.”**

Riley turned her head as a laughing snort escaped the back of her throat.

 **“He’s not the waiter.”** Sam knew Dean had just embarrassed them and maybe even ruined their chances there. **“I’m Sam Connors,”** Sam said as he extended his hand towards the man. Seeing that his handshake was declined, he awkwardly pulled his hand back. **“This is my brother Dean** and our sister, Riley. **We’re art dealers with Connor’s Limited.”**

 **“You’re art dealers?”** the man asked in disbelief. **“I’m Daniel Blake. This is my auction house.** This is a private showing, and I don’t remember seeing you three on the guest list.”

 **“We’re there, Chuckles.”** Dean was enjoying his sarcastic behavior. **“You just need to take another look.”**

A waiter carrying a tray of champagne walked by as Dean stole a glass. He sniffed the glass in a ridiculous manner and offered his arm to Riley in jest. She raised her head playing along and hooked onto him, stifling her laughter as they walked away.

Finding the items from the Telesca estate, the three split up to look at what remained of the couple’s home. But they all stopped in front of the same painting one by one. It was of a family. A husband and wife sat with their three children, one girl, and two boys. One child held a sailboat and the girl held a doll as the father’s hand rested on her shoulder and gazed down at her. An out of place barber’s blade sat on the table beside them next to a lamp.

 **“A fine example of American primitive, wouldn’t you say?”** A voice spoke out from behind them making Riley and the Winchesters turn. A woman in an elegant black cocktail dress came down a winding staircase. Her brown hair was up and her facial features were delicate with a berry lipstick painted across her lips.

Sam smirked. **“Well, I’d say it’s more Grant Wood than Grandma Moses…but you knew that. You just wanted to see if I did.”**

 **“Guilty,”** she confessed with a smile. **“I’m Sarah Blake.”**

 **“I’m Sam.”** They shook hands and Riley could feel the tension between them. Sam was definitely attracted to the woman. “This is my brother and sister, Dean and Riley.”

Trying not to give away that she knew too much, Riley smiled and shook her hand. Dean continued to chew away on the mini quiche he had found.

 **“So, can I help you with something?”** Sarah asked trying to hide her somewhat flirty tone.

“Actually, yeah. **What can you tell us about the Telesca estate?”** Sam tried to play it cool as he spoke to the beautiful woman.

She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Well, if you ask me? I think it’s in poor taste selling their things this soon. But dad insists the sensationalism will bring out the crowds.”

Sam couldn’t contain the smile that grew on his face. **“Is it possible to see the provenances?”**

The gentleman that Dean had offended earlier, interrupted them. **“I’m afraid there isn’t any chance of that.”** His face was stern and his grey hair was well groomed. **“You’re not on the guest list, and I think it’s time for you to leave.”**

 **“We don’t want any trouble,”** Sam answered. **“We’ll go.”** The three turned to leave as he gave Sarah one last look.

——

The motel room door opened as Sam, Dean, and Riley walked in. Finn spun in a circle wagging his tail in excitement to see them. Riley found a spot on the floor to give him cuddles and plant kisses all over his head. The boys took off their jackets and shoes.

“So, Sam…” Riley started. Finn’s collar jingled as she massaged his neck. “Grandma Moses? Grant Wood?” Her words were playful and she was amused with herself.

 **“Art History course. It’s good for meeting girls,”** Sam answered with a smile.

Dean scoffed. **“It’s like I don’t even know you.“** His face scrunched as he tried to reabsorb the room they had been shocked by earlier when they checked in. It was silver and black with a strange almost disco-modern twist. Parts of the walls and furniture were a shiny metal that glistened in the light. Turning back to his brother he asked, “so what was this ‘providence’ thing?”

Sam chuckled as he re-pronounced the word. “Provenance. It’s kind of like a biography of the piece. We can use them to track their history. You know, **see if anything’s got a freaky past.”**

 **“Well, we’re not gonna get any help from Chuckles.”** The older Winchester got a kick out of his nickname for the wealthy gentleman.

“You know,” Riley started as she stood up. “I have a feeling we can always get _Sarah’s_ help.” She turned to Sam and raised her eyebrow.

Dean worked to unpack his gear and agreed. “True. It wasn’t _my_ ass she was checking out, dude.” He picked up his cell phone and handed it to his brother. “Call her, dammit.”

——

After a night out, Sam relaxed back in the room with his family. He had taken off his nice dress blazer and his pale blue long sleeved shirt was loosely unbuttoned. Sarah had been his date for the evening and it had gone surprisingly well.

As he went through the papers in front of him he told Dean and Riley about his night. “We had a nice time, actually. She’s cool. Went back to her place and talked and she gave me copies of the provenances.”

Sitting in the chair next to him, with a beer in hand, Riley nudged him. “You like this girl, Sam.” She smiled. “I don’t need to be an empath to see how into her you are.”

There was still a part of Sam that clung to Jessica. She was the woman he was supposed to be with. The idea of getting into something with someone else almost felt wrong. He quickly changed the subject. **“Hey, alright I think I found something here.”**

Dean made his way over to the table to sit with his partners. He and Riley leaned in to look it over as he read. **“Portrait of Isaiah Merchant’s family painted 1910.”**

“Now check the dates with dad’s journal.”

The journal sat beside them as Dean compared the rest of the dates **. “First purchased in 1912 to Peter Sims.** Dad had that Peter Sims died in **1912\. Same thing in 1945 and the same in 1970.”**

 **“Then stored,”** Sam added. **“Until it was donated to a charity auction last month, where the _Telescas_ bought it.”**

“Hmm. So what are we thinking? Haunted or cursed?” Riley took another sip from her beer.

Dean scoffed. “I think, **either way,** the thing’s **toast.”**

——

The team had left in a hurry and made their way back to the auction house. Large and tall iron gates stood at the entrance, locked with a chain. The brothers looked up.

“Alright, sweetheart. You need a boost?”

Before Dean could finish turning towards Riley, she charged at the gate and climbed up. From the top, she swung over and dropped to the other side. She grunted as her feet hit solid ground. Riley turned to look at them through the bars as she caught her breath. “Do _you_ , need a boost, babe?” Her smile lit a fire in Dean as she shot a look back at him. He couldn’t get over the gate fast enough to be at her side. Sam followed behind him.

As soon as he dropped, he looked at her with desire in his eyes. “Munroe, that was one of the hottest friggin’ things I have ever seen.”

“Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet, Winchester.” She gave him a flirty wink as she began to jog up towards the main building.

Dean made a quick look over to Sam. “I’m gonna marry that woman.”

A small laugh came from his little brother as they both ran to meet up with the fiery auburn-haired woman ahead of them.

The alarm was on and Sam worked to cut the right cords to disconnect it as Dean picked the lock. With the door open, the three went inside. Flashlights in hand, they moved to find the painting. Black gloves were on their hands to ensure they left no trace of them being there.

“Hey,” Riley spoke in a hushed tone to get their attention. She shined her light up to the balcony and there it was.

They were on a mission to get in and out and rushed up the winding metal staircase. Dean took off a glove and held it with his teeth as he flipped open his pocket knife. He cut around the frame to release the painting. Rolling it up, Dean and the others moved fast to get out.

Once they had reached the dirt parking lot, they laid the piece of art on the ground. Dean struck a match.

 **“Ugly-ass thing. If you ask me, we’re doing the art world a favor.”** He tossed the lit stick onto the painting and it went up in flames.

Little did they know that at that same moment, the painting reconstructed itself in its original frame.

——

 **“We got a problem,”** Dean stated coming out of the bathroom in a huff. **“I can’t find my wallet.”**

 **“And how is that _my_ problem?”** Sam teased.

**“‘Cause I think I dropped it in the warehouse last night.”**

Riley’s eyes grew. “Oh, _shit_. Are you serious?”

“Deadly.” Dean hurried to put his jacket on to leave. **“I mean, it’s got my prints, my I.D.–well, my fake I.D. anyway. But we gotta go get it before somebody else finds it. Come on.”** Flinging open the door, he headed for the car.

Sam looked at Riley in irritation as they followed him. The blue-eyed hunter gave Finn a final rub on the head as she put on her own jacket and closed the door behind them.

——

It was the middle of the late morning and once again, the hunters didn’t blend into their surroundings at the auction house. Not only were they never appropriately dressed, appropriately, but now they were scurrying about scavenging for Dean’s wallet.

 **“How do you lose your _wallet_ , Dean?”** Sam couldn’t believe his brother’s stupidity.

Sarah walked by and beamed at the sight of Sam. “Hey, guys!” She walked in their direction.

Panic came over the young Winchester as he saw her. He tried to pull himself together and gave her an awkward smile. **“Sarah. Hey.”**

 **“What are you doing here?”** she asked.

Behind him, Dean and Riley tried to lean casually on a statue beside them. It began to wobble and they grabbed it to steady it again. They tried to remain inconspicuous and were failing miserably.

**“Oh, uh…we’re leaving town. And you know, we came to say goodbye.”**

“That’s not true Sam.” Riley came up behind him and pat him on the arm. “We said we were gonna stick around another day or two.” She looked at Sarah and took a moment to let her empathic skills work their magic. The woman was thrilled to see Sam and butterflies flapped in her stomach looking at him. Riley could feel how genuine her crush on her brother was and the same feelings were coming from Sam. She had to once again try to hide her smile.

Dean made his way over to them. “Yeah, that’s right. **Oh, and before I forget again,”** Dean pulled cash from his wallet and gave Sam a pleased look. **“Here’s that twenty bucks I owe ya.”** Sam yanked it from his hand realizing the wallet had finally been found. “Well, we’ll leave you, two crazy kids, alone. **We gotta go do something…somewhere…”** He turned to see Riley’s smirk and whispered in her ear. “Shut up.” Taking her hand they walked away.

When it was finally just the two of them, Sarah looked up at Sam and flashed him a sweet smile. “I had a really great time last night.”

**“Yeah, I did too.”**

**“Maybe, we should do it again, sometime?”**

Uncertainty and sadness came over Sam that he desperately tried to hide. **“You know, I’d love to. I really would.** But Riley–she **was just screwing around we really are taking off today.”**

 **“Oh. Well…that’s too bad,”** Sarah replied fighting to cover her disappointment.

As Sam looked over her shoulder, he saw the painting once again. It looked as though it had never been harmed in any way. **“Oh my god!”** he shouted in shock.

**“What?”**

Realizing his outburst, Sam worked to recover from it. **“That painting…uh–it looks so good.”**

 **“If you can call that monstrosity good, then yeah, I guess.”** Sarah was feeling awkward after Sam’s reaction and didn’t know what to say.

 **“Sarah, what do you know about that painting?”** He was speaking quickly and in a state of shock.

**“Not much. Just that it creeps me out. We sold it to the Telescas at a charity auction the night they were murdered.”**

In almost a tone of defense and frustration, Sam asked, **“and now you’re just gonna sell it _again_?”**

“Well, as much as my father wants to, I won’t let him. I just don’t think it’s appropriate.”

Sam still rushed his words. **“Good, yeah. You know what? Don’t. Don’t. Make sure you don’t okay?”**

Scoffing, Sarah asked, “why? Oh god, don’t tell me you’re _interested_ in that thing.”

**“No, God, no. Not in buying it, no. You know what? I gotta go. I gotta take care of something. But um, I’ll call you back. I will call you. I’ll see you later.”**

A huge smile came over Sarah. **“Wait, so you’re not leaving tonight?”**

 **“No,”** he chuckled uncomfortably. **“I guess not. I’ll see ya.”** Sam hurried out the door.

Baby’s doors creaked and slammed shut as the hunters got back into the car.

“What the hell?” Sam’s voice was still slightly panicked. **“I don’t understand. We burned the damn thing.”**

Dean’s mouth hung open agape. **“Yeah, well thank you, Captain Obvious.”**

“Okay,” Riley said taking a calming breath. “We just gotta find another way to get rid of it, right?” She paused. “Any ideas…?” Sam and Dean sat in silence. “Well, in practically all the lore about haunted paintings, the subject is what haunts them, right?”

 **“So, we need to figure out everything there is to know about that creepy-ass family in that creepy-ass painting. What were their names again?”** Dean turned to them both waiting for an answer.

——

Finn’s muzzle moved through his food as Riley and the boys found themselves back in the motel room. Sitting around the table they discussed their findings from their research.

“So the whole family was slaughtered. Isaiah slit his kids’ throats, then his wife’s and then himself. Classy guy,” Riley added. “Anyway, it was him, the missus, their two sons, and their daughter.” With a look of cringe, she continued, “the guy was a barber and he used a straight razor. Blegh.”

“But why?” Sam asked.

Dean pulled up a copy of an old newspaper article. “Well, people who knew the guy described Isaiah as having a ‘stern and harsh temperament. Said he controlled his family with an iron fist’.” He sighed as he put it back down. “And the family was _cremated_. …great.”

“Guys, hold on a second.” Sam flipped over a copy of the same painting from the museum that he had found. Only in that one, the father was looking ahead and not down at the little girl. **“The painting at the auction house? The dad is looking down. Painting here? Dad is looking out. The painting has _changed_!”**

**“So, what? You think daddy-dearest is stuck in the painting and handing out Columbian Neckties like he did with his family?”**

**“Well, yeah it seems like it. But if his bones are already dusted, how are we gonna stop him?”**

Riley looked at it and thought. “If Isaiah’s position could change, then maybe something else in the painting changed too. Maybe it’ll give us other clues.” She shrugged.

“We gotta get back to that painting.” Dean got up and laid on the bed with his hands behind his head. “Now that we’re sticking around some more, might give you some time with the girl you’re crushing on so hard, huh?

“Dean,” Sam was irritated. “What do you care if I hook up? Why does it matter so much?”

“Maybe you wouldn’t be so fucking cranky all the time if you did.”

Feeling tensions rise, Riley flopped herself down on the other bed as Finn jumped up to join her. “Sam, you like this girl right? Maybe you could actually have something with her, you know?”

“She’s right. **I think this Sarah girl might be good for you.”** Dean sat up to look at his brother. **“And I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’m–I’m sure that this is about Jessica, right?** **Now, I don’t know what it’s like to lose somebody like that…”** his voice trailed off. The thought of losing Riley made him feel physically sick. He turned to look at her and she smiled at him. **“…but I would think that she would want you to be happy. God forbid have fun once in a while. Wouldn’t she?”**

Guilt, longing, grief…they came from Sam like a broken dam. Riley looked at him feeling it all until they slowly shifted. Hope, love, and nostalgia grew inside him as the left side of his lip grew into a small smile before it dropped. **“Yeah, I know she would.”** Sam sighed and tried to release his feelings of guilt. **“Yeah, you’re right. Part of this is about Jessica. But not the main part.”**

Dean’s mouth opened to speak as Riley cleared her throat. He looked at her and she shook her head letting him know it was time to let it go. Knowing she was probably right, Dean got up and went to her. Sitting behind Riley, he straddled her with his legs. He wrapped his arms around her before kissing the side of her head. **“Well, we still got to see that painting, which means you still gotta call, Sarah.”**

Sam sighed and picked up his phone. He had to work up the courage to do it.

Squeezing Riley, Dean put his face in the crook of her neck and whispered, “don’t ever leave me, okay?”

She could feel the emotion behind his words. Turning her head she looked at him and kissed him. “You’re stuck with me, Winchester.”

He sat back against the headboard, guiding her with him. Riley’s head rested on his chest as his arms held her close as her fingers traced over his hands. When they were like that, he knew she was safe. That he could protect her. The thought of a world without Riley scared him as much as losing Sam.

Finally, the lone Winchester cleared his throat and dialed Sarah’s number. “Hey, Sarah. Hi…yeah it’s good to hear from you too. How are you?…yeah I’m good, I’m good. Listen, my family and **I were thinking that maybe we’d like to come back in and look at the painting again. I think we maybe are interested in buying it.”**

The energy in the room changed and Riley could feel it. She shot up quickly seeing Sam’s face fall and a look of worry was written all over him.

 **“Wait, what?”** he asked Sarah. **“Who’d you sell it to? Sarah, I need that address right now.”**

——

It was late in the night and dark blanketed the property. The Chevy sped onto the long driveway of a quiet house. The tires screeched as it came to a stop and the hunters rushed out of the car. Sarah had arrived there before them and got out of her Jeep.

**“Sam, what’s happening?”**

**“I told you, you shouldn’t have come.”**

Hoping they weren’t too late, they raced up the porch and to the door. Sarah trailed behind in confusion. The boys banged heavily on the wooden doors and yelled for someone to answer.

Sarah was desperate for answers. **“You said Evelyn might be in danger. What kind of danger?”**

 **“I can’t knock this sucker down, I gotta pick it.”** Dean had been using all his might to bust the door open.

**“What _are_ you guys, _burglars_?”**

Riley scoffed as she waited for access to the house. “Well,” she said in a singsong tone. “It’s a _little_ bit more complicated than that, unfortunately.”

The second Dean had successfully unlocked the door, he and Riley were the first inside as the other two went in behind them. Sam and Sarah called for Evelyn.

Coming out of the foyer, the darkened living room was lit only by a small light on a side table. A reading chair sat beside it, facing away from them. Evelyn’s white hair peeked out over the top of the chair. As they walked further into the house, they saw the painting hung prominently over the fireplace. The only sound they could hear was that of their shoes on the floor as they stepped.

 **“Evelyn? It’s Sarah. Sarah Blake.”** She reached out her hand towards the shoulder of the woman sitting in the chair. The weight of her hand was all it took for Evelyn’s head to fall backward. Her neck had been slit so deeply that she was nearly decapitated. Sarah screamed at the top of her lungs as Sam tried to hold her. **“Oh my god! Oh my god!”**

The father in the painting moved in front of them as he once again faced out and no longer looked at the little girl.

——

A knock came from the motel door. Dean and Riley were doing research and Sam had been pacing but went to the sound at the door. After it had opened, a frustrated Sarah marched in.

 **“Hey,”** Sam started softly. **“You alright?”**

**“No, actually. I just lied to the cops and told them I went to Evelyn’s _alone_ and found her like that.”**

**“Thank you.”**

**“Don’t thank me. I’m about to call them right back if you don’t tell me what the hell is going on. Who’s killing these people?”**

Looking back at his partners, they nodded to acknowledge it was time to give her “the talk”. **_“What,”_** Sam stated with a sigh.

“What?”

 **“It’s not ‘ _who_ ’. It’s ‘ _what_ ’ is killing those people.”** And there it was, the reliable Winchester guilt. Sam knew he was about to change Sarah’s life forever by telling her the truth. From that day on, she would really know what was out there. When he saw that she wasn’t understanding he went on. **“Sarah, you saw that painting move.”**

 **“No,”** Sarah said chuckling at the thought and pacing. **“No, I was seeing things. It’s impossible.”**

 **“Yeah, well…welcome to our world.”** Dean gave the woman a quick curl of his lip.

Sam put his hands in his pockets and worked up the courage to tell her more. **“Sarah, I know this sounds crazy, but we think that that painting is haunted.”**

Riley cringed feeling the awkwardness in the room. She leaned into Dean, “why is this part always so friggin’ uncomfortable?”

When Sarah asked if they were joking, the hunters sat staring back at her with nothing to say. Finn sat up and whined almost feeling awkward himself.

 **“You’re _not_ joking.” **Sarah released a breathy laugh. **“God, the guys I go out** **with.”**

Feeling that Sam had already fought to say enough, Riley jumped in. “Sarah, think about it for a minute. Both the Telescas and Evelyn had the painting. And there have been others before. People die wherever this thing goes.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Sam added. **“We’re just trying to stop it.”**

With a deep breath, Sarah looked back at the people that had just turned her world upside down. **“Well, then I guess you better show me. I’m coming with you.”**

Gently tugging her jacket, Sam gazed down at her. “No. Please–you should go home. What we do? It’s dangerous and…” he paused. **“I don’t want you to get hurt.”**

 **“Look, you guys are probably crazy. But if you’re right about this, when my dad and I sold this painting, we might have gotten these people killed. I’m not saying I’m not scared, ‘cause I’m scared as hell, but I’m not gonna run and hide either.”** Turning on her heel, Sarah walked to the door and waited for them to follow before leaving. **“So, are we going or what?”**

 **“Sam…”** Dean extended his hand to point in her direction. **“ _Marry_ that girl.” **Riley nodded in agreeance with an impressed expression on her face.

——

Police tape blocked off the porch of Evelyn’s house. The crime scene was now quiet after the inspection had finally ended. Sam worked to pick the lock.

 **“Uh, isn’t this a crime scene?”** Sarah looked around them in discomfort, scared of being caught.

Dean waited for his brother. **“Eh, you’ve already lied to the cops. What’s another infraction?”**

As the Winchesters got the door open, Riley sat with her hands in her pockets and tipping on her heels looking at her. “Welcome to the team,” she joked giving her a fake smile. The girls went inside after them.

Sam immediately went to take the painting down. Sarah fought her urge to look at the blood-soaked chair as memories from the night before flooded her mind.

Riley could feel the fear and anxiety in her and reached her hand to touch her arm. “Hey, we got you, okay?”

Sarah gave a small smile at Riley’s comforting words as Sam sat the painting on the couch to get a closer look at it. The father’s head had turned to face his daughter since the last time they had seen it.

As the youngest Winchester had his face close to the canvas and looked for clues, Sarah’s anxiety grew. **“Aren’t you worried that it’s gonna, you know, kill _us_?”**

“For some reason, it only seems to be active at night. We should be okay in daylight,” Sam answered.

Dean and Riley looked over their copy of the painting looking for more changes. She put her finger on the bottom corner as they both looked at the straight razor on the painted table.

 **“Sam, check it out.”** Handing it to his brother Dean explained what they found. **“The razor–it’s closed in this one, but it’s open in that one.”**

With more questions than answers, Sarah asked what they were looking for. In a calm voice, Riley turned to her. “Well, the spirit seems to be changing the painting. Chances are, it’s doing it for a _reason_.”

Upon closer inspection of the printed copy, Sam noticed a new clue. “Wait a minute, the painting in the painting. It’s different. In the original, it’s of a landscape. But in the changed one, there’s a crypt or a mausoleum.”

Dean grabbed a glass ashtray from the table to make a stand-in magnifying glass. Hovering it over the newest part of the canvas a name appeared. “Merchant.”

——

The original group and Sarah walked through a cemetery. People were leaving from recent funerals. The eerie sound of crows came from the surrounding trees. Even in the middle of the day, graveyards never felt like the most welcoming of places.

 **“This is the third boneyard we’ve checked,”** Dean huffed. “I think this ghost is screwing with us. What a dick.”

The reality of the last 15 hours still hadn’t settled for Sarah. “So…is this what you guys do for a living?”

Sam walked beside her with his hands in his pockets. **“Not exactly,”** he said with a pause. **“We don’t get paid.”**

With her hand over her eyes to block the sun, Riley scanned the area before spotting the crypt. “Hey guys, over there,” she nodded.

As the four got closer, they could see the name “Merchant” carved in stone. It was an old mausoleum made of stone blocks with pillars bracing the roof on the sides. The doors were a rusted and thick old metal. Luckily, Dean had come prepared with bolt cutters and clipped the chain that held it shut. With a loud squeak, they opened.

Cobwebs blocked the entrance and dust flew out causing them to cough. Dean pushed past the webs and went inside as the others did the same. Old and crumpled leaves had somehow found their way inside and were scattered on the ground. The only light came from a small window to the side. On the opposite side of the room, sat a countertop. Urns with the family’s ashes sat across it and above them were encased items in glass.

Riley didn’t mind being in places like that. There were no emotions to feel or thoughts to be worried about.

 _“What the hell have I gotten myself into?”_ Hearing Sarah’s thoughts, Riley rolled her eyes. She had forgotten for a moment she wasn’t only among the dead.

Sarah spoke out loud this time. **“Okay, that right there is the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen.”** She was looking at one of the items encased in glass. Inside was an old doll with a porcelain face.

 **“That was kind of a tradition at the time.”** Sam walked to her side. “Whenever a child died, sometimes they’d preserve the kid’s favorite toy in a glass case. Put it next to the headstone or in the crypt.” One of the other cases contained a baseball glove and one had a sailboat. They were for the small boys.

“Anybody notice anything strange here?” Dean asked.

“The urns,” Riley said getting a closer look. “There’s only four of them. Mom and her three kids.”

“Which means, **daddy-dearest isn’t here.”**

“So where the hell is he?”

——

Outside of county records office, Sam and Sarah sat on a small concrete wall, waiting. Riley and Dean had gone inside on a search for death certificates. They needed to find out what happened to Isaiah and where his body had gone.

“How did they even get in the door?” Sarah still couldn’t believe all that the group was capable of. She had a million questions in her mind at all times with the hunters.

Sam scoffed with a chuckle. **“Uh–lying and subterfuge, mostly.”**

She returned with a small laugh before they both caught each other’s glance. There was a chemistry and they both felt it as they sat in silence.

“Sam, at the risk of being too forward, I gotta ask you something. Am I crazy, or is there something here between us?”

“No, you’re definitely not crazy.”

“…why do I feel there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

**“–but…I don’t think this would be a good idea.”**

**“Can I ask why?”**

“Because I like you, Sarah.”

Sarah smiled but looked confused. “Sam, you’ve officially lost me.” They both laughed.

 **“Look, it’s hard to explain. It’s just that when people are around me, I don’t know–they get hurt. Like physically hurt**. With what my family does, I just–” Sam stopped as he tried to find the words. **“Sarah…I had a girlfriend, and she died. My mom died, too. I don’t know, it’s like I’m cursed or something. Like death just follows me around.** There’s not a lot that scares me. I just always worry that when I get too close to someone—”

She interjected, **“–you’re scared they get hurt too.”**

That was the first time Sam had opened up to anyone other than Dean or Riley. He wanted to be vulnerable with Sarah. A part of him wanted to stay in town and see what could happen between them. He didn’t want to be alone forever. Sam had experienced real love before and saw his brother with Riley every day. There wasn’t a moment he didn’t wish to have that back.

Riley and Dean made their way over to the couple. She could feel a swell of emotions hit her and it almost brought tears to her eyes. As much as they both wanted to allow themselves to feel for each other, Sam’s fear kept them apart. Riley put her hand up to Dean’s chest to stop him for a moment.

“That’s really sweet,” Sarah went on. “And ridiculous. I’m not a little girl, Sam. **It’s not your job to make decisions _for_ me. There’s always a chance of getting hurt.**” Before Sam could stop her, she put her hand up towards his lips. “I know. We’re not talking some emotional heartbreak. You’re worried about real life and death stuff. But Sam, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. That’s just life.” Sarah’s voice grew softer as she saw she was finally getting through to Sam. “I lost my mom last year. I know that losing someone you love–there’s no pain like it. **You shut yourself off, believe me, I know.”**

“Sarah, you don’t understand. The pain that I went through–I can’t go through it again. I can’t.”

Riley looked at her best friend and she tried for the first time in months to send a thought his way. There was a soft interference. It was like what she picked up from Max, the other psychic. But she pushed through and she saw Sam turn in her direction. _“Don’t be afraid. You risk even more by not letting anyone see how special you are.”_

A smile hit his face after he realized what had just happened. That was the first time they had connected in that way. The bond between them solidified even more. Riley still didn’t understand her abilities or how to control them most of the time. But it seemed that she could share thoughts with those she was closest to. She took that as a gift. Giving Dean the go-ahead, he wrapped his arm around her and they walked over to them.

 **“So, what’d you get?”** Sam’s eyes went to his big brother.

 **“Paydirt. Apparently, the surviving Merchant relatives were so ashamed of Isaiah that they didn’t want him interred with the family. So, they handed him over to the county.”** Dean rolled the documents in his hands to form a tube.

“Guess the county gave him a pauper’s funeral. Had to just get rid of him.” Riley added. “He definitely wasn’t cremated. The guy is in the ground in a pine box.”

A moment of hope came over Sam. **“That means there _are_ bones to burn. Please tell me you know where.”**

——

Dirt flung in every direction as Sam and Dean dug into the grave. They grunted and were covered in sweat as they reached the bottom.

With an uncomfortable look, Sarah turned to Riley who had her arms crossed. “So, you guys do this whole ‘grave digging’ thing a lot?”

“Nah,” she shook her head. “ _I’m_ too pretty to dig.” Riley gave a satisfied grin. There was that awkward silence again. “Oh, c’mon. You’re telling me you don’t find it _slightly_ sexy as hell watching them right now?”

They both giggled as a loud crashing came from in the hole. Sam and Dean had found the buried body and broke open the wooden coffin with their shovels.

As they crawled out, Riley grabbed a large container of salt from their gear bag. She made her way around the grave and made sure to cover the bones. Sam took a can of gasoline and poured it over the opened coffin.

 **“Well, Isaiah, you’ve been a real pain in the ass.”** Dean struck a match. **“Good riddance,”** he finished, tossing the match into the grave.

——

Baby’s gentle purr once again pulled into the driveway of the now deceased, Evelyn. Sam had gone inside to retrieve the painting so they could bury it. Sarah insisted on going in with him.

Dean and Riley sat with the engine still running. He looked over at her. “Twenty bucks says he finally makes a move.”

“You know I’m kind of psychic, _right_?”

“Are you suggesting I don’t know my own brother?”

“It’s your money, Winchester. You’re on.” She smirked as Dean chuckled.

In the house, the couple stood in front of the painting still hung above the fireplace. They both stared at it and there was an immediate moment of worry.

“Sam, I know you’re the ghost expert here and it’s just my first day, but is the painting _supposed_ to look like that?” Sarah’s heart began to race in her chest as she noticed the little girl was missing, along with the straight razor.

Sam knew they had missed something as the echoes of a child’s giggles blew through the house.

As Riley and Dean waited in the car, the front door slammed shut of its own accord. Both didn’t need to speak a word before scurrying up the steps. Dean rushed the door and made contact with his shoulder. He fought, again and again, to open it as Riley began to panic.

On the other side of the door, Sam yelled, “guys, is that you?”

“Yeah!” Dean shouted. **“Sammy, you alright?”**

Riley realized they couldn’t hear each other well through the door and she fumbled for her phone to call him.

“Riley!”

“Sam, please tell us you’re the one that slammed the front door.”

 **“No, it wasn’t me. I think it was the little girl.** The one from the painting. She’s gone! **I think it might have been her all along.”**

“Hold up. The dad was looking down at her right? What if he was trying to warn us?” As Riley put together the pieces with Sam, Dean picked at the lock.

 **“Let’s recap later, just get us the** fuck **out of here.** ”

“We’re working on it, Sam. The door won’t budge.”

Dean turned to face her. “What’s he saying?”

“He wants us to break down the door.”

With sarcasm, Dean shouted, **“okay, genius! Let me grab my battering ram!”**

 **“The damn thing’s coming!”** Sam’s voice began to shake.

Dean continued his assault against the door and Riley was still talking to their brother. “We’re trying. You gotta hold it off. Salt or iron, find it now!”

Inside, Sarah and Sam ran around looking for items to defend themselves. Sam shouted for her to find something made of pure iron as he searched for salt.

 **“What kind of house doesn’t have any salt? Low sodium freaks.** Riley, don’t hang up.”

“I’m here, Sam.”

The doors to the living room shut with a loud bang and the two gasped. A strong wind blew in the house and papers flew through the opened space. Sarah shook in fear and Sam turned to face the only opened area.

A small girl in a white dress with long flowing curly hair, drug her doll on the ground beside her. Her other hand wielded the barber’s blade as she made her way towards them. The daughter’s face was pale and her eyes were encircled in black. She flickered faster than a blink as she suddenly appeared closer to them.

“Holy shit! **That is just _so_ wrong,”** Sarah stated as she looked at the girl.

They had been nearly backed into a corner and Sam blocked her in an attempt to keep her safe. Taking another step back, his legs clanked against something. He looked down to see the instruments to stoke the fireplace and grabbed the poker to arm himself.

The girl’s face began to turn to something evil as it rapidly moved in every direction. Sam lunged at her and took a full swing with the iron in his hands. In an instant, she was gone and the wind had stopped.

A shout came from the phone that he had sat on the chair beside them. “Sam! Dammit, Sam! Are you okay?”

Picking it up he replied, “yeah. Yeah, we’re good.”

“They’re ok, Dean.” Riley had put the phone to the side to talk to the anxious Winchester.

He sighed in relief as she went back to the call. “That kid’s gonna give me another heart attack.” Dean collected himself in a hurry. **“Alright, how do we waste her?”**

“There’s nothing left to burn,” Sam told Riley after overhearing Dean. “She was cremated. There’s gotta be something else.”

Sarah knew her art history and she had an epiphany. **“Sam! We used to handle antique dolls at the auction. Back then, they used to make the dolls in the kid’s image.** Down to the last detail. **Like, they would use the kid’s _real_ hair.”**

Riley had gotten tired of relaying information and groaned at herself. She realized they could have been on speakerphone the whole time. Dean got close as he listened in.

The youngest Winchester’s voice came through the phone. “Guys, Sarah says they might have used the girl’s real hair on the doll. Human remains, right? Same as bones?”

 **“The mausoleum,”** both Riley and Dean said in unison as they fled to the car.

Alone at the house now, Sam and Sarah felt that same strong wind blow their way. Papers again began to fly and scurry across the ground as the evil echo of laughter returned.

——

Driving like a bat out of hell, Dean drove Baby with reckless abandon. He crashed through the gates of the now-closed graveyard and broke them open. Riley held on tight as she turned to her partner. His brow was furrowed and the road ahead had his complete focus.

As the roar of the engine continued, Riley smiled devilishly his way. “Later on, think you can drive _me_ as well as you’re driving her?”

He shot a quick look in her direction before chuckling. “Oh, honey, you better hold on tight,” Dean quipped back cockily. His voice was husky and primal as a hint of a smirk curled at his lips. Dean’s foot pressed even harder into the pedal as they sped onto the grassy terrain. A quick moment of arousal hit them both before snapping back to reality as they hurried to save Sam and Sarah.

Dean stopped the car directly in front of the mausoleum. The headlights were still on, guiding them towards their destination. The two sprinted towards the stone structure and tore open the doors.

Inside, Dean went in the direction of the encased doll. Banging on the glass with his fist, nothing happened. He shouted at Riley, “cover your eyes!”

Listening to his instructions, she did so and he covered his own as he fired his weapon into the glass. The bullet had gone through and he used the gun to shatter the rest.

As he grabbed the doll, Riley tossed her lighter in his direction. He caught it effortlessly. It was almost like he knew when she would throw it without even looking her way. Flicking it open, the lighter flickered but refused to fully light. “Come on, come on,” he groaned in anxiety.

——

Back at the house, Sam and Sarah were in a struggle for their lives. The spirit sent furniture flying in their direction and had thrown both around the room. Sam desperately tried to protect Sarah in the middle of the chaos. But the ghost was powerful and continued to show him no mercy.

The full apparition of the evil girl showed itself again. She was determined to end the lives of the couple before her. Her hunger to kill grew as she flickered again in their direction. Her blade was readied and Sam covered Sarah as best he could, preparing for the blow.

Before she could strike, the Merchant’s daughter burst into flames. The fire swallowed her as the doll had finally been destroyed. The painting on the wall had returned to its original state and the spirit was now at rest.

Sam and Sarah were almost in a state of shock after their brush with death. His phone rang twice before he answered.

 **“Sam! You good?”** Riley’s voice was stressed on the other end as she waited for a reply.

 **“Not bad,”** he replied. As the phone disconnected and flipped shut, Sam and Sarah sat trying to catch their breaths.

——

The next day, Sarah had ordered the painting to be boxed up. She and Sam oversaw it ensuring things would go as planned this time. The men that worked there had been ordered to take it out back and burn it.

Riley and Dean walked in, playful together as always. When they reached the others, Dean tried to pull himself into focus. “So, we went and checked out the county records about the Merchant’s _adopted_ daughter, Melanie.”

“Adopted, you ask?” Riley hinted. “Her real family was murdered in their beds. Little Melanie was a bitch, apparently.”

Sarah looked back at the painting before it closed shut. “Wait. So it was the little girl the whole time?”

Dean nodded. “Yup. She took out her own family and then did the same thing to the Merchants. Only that time, Isaiah took the fall. **His spirit’s been trying to warn people ever since.”**

 **“So why’d the girl do it?”** Sarah still felt so in the dark about all that had happened even after living it herself.

Sam turned to face her. **“Killing others–killing herself? Some people are just born tortured. So when they die, their spirits are just as dark.”**

“Maybe. I don’t really care, honestly,” Dean added. **“It’s over. We move on.”**

With a sigh through her smile, Sarah looked longingly at Sam. **“I guess that means you’re leaving.”**

Not knowing what to say, he just exhaled deeply. Riley could feel the yearning that flew between them. Even in the silence, the fire they felt for each other nearly crackled in her ears. “Let’s go wait in the car, Dean.” Riley hooked onto his arm. “Take care, Sarah.” With a small wave, Dean followed her cue to go.

He looked at her and spoke under his breath. _“We’re_ the ones that burned the doll, and destroyed the spirit, but do _we_ get any thanks? No…” he drug out.

They headed for the car and Dean opened Riley’s door for her. Before she got in, she looked back at Sam saying goodbye to Sarah. The main door closed behind him and he trudged to the Impala with his head hung.

Riley hated seeing him like that and attempted another telepathic message to him. _“Sam, if you don’t do something, you’re gonna regret it. Now, turn your ass around!”_ She smiled at him and he chuckled at the thought before spinning around and running back up to the door.

Sam knocked on the door and it was quickly answered by Sarah. Her smile was infectious and filled with joy seeing him come back. He put a hand on the side of her face and pulled her in for a kiss. They melted into each other and smiled against each other’s lips.

 **“That’s my boy.”** Dean beamed with pride for his little brother.

Riley was so thrilled for Sam. But she turned off her empathic ability towards him to let him have the moment to himself. She faced Dean and kissed him before pulling away with a smirk and extending her hand. “Twenty bucks. Cough it up.”

“What? No way! You just saw them!” Dean whined.

“Nuh-uh. The agreement was that he was gonna make a move _last_ night. Unfortunately, they were too wrapped up in surviving a serial killer ghost to do that.” She feigned a pout and kept her hand out.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Alright, you win.” Dean took out his wallet to give her the money before putting it back in his pocket. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead admitting defeat. Dean then headed for the driver’s side.

“Oh, and Dean,” Riley said before they got in. “Don’t forget, you promised to take _me_ for a drive.” Her eyes were filled with lust and she bit her lip before getting in the car.

Taking a moment to himself, Dean smiled and licked his lips. _“I am one lucky son of a bitch.”_

——


	11. "Salvation"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The death of a fellow hunter sends the three looking for answers that have them crossing paths with someone they had been looking for.

**Word Count: 9,350**

**Content Warning: language and violence**

**DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.**

Sam, Riley, and Dean sat in a small cafe in Omaha, Nebraska. A recent hunt had brought them into town but there were no leads for other possible cases. The three were itching to get back on the road. Not knowing where John or the demon were, had them on edge. If they weren’t working, they were left alone with their thoughts and they desperately wanted to avoid that.

Dean worked through newspaper articles and Sam searched the web for anything that might catch his eye.

As Riley came back to the table she huffed as she sat. “I’m so bored,” she whined. We’ve been sitting in this town with nothing to do for a week. “Someone give me something to shoot already.”

“I know,” Dean agreed. He sighed in frustration as he folded up his newspaper. “I couldn’t find _one_ decent lead in Nebraska. Sam, please tell me you found something before we all lose our minds.”

“Uh–” Sam started as he scrolled through articles. “Well, a man named Daniel Elkins was found mauled in his home.”

Dean’s brow furrowed. “Elkins. How do I know that name?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell for me.” Sam exhaled deeply. “Anyway, looks like the cops don’t know what to make of it. At first, they said it was some sort of bear attack, but now they say they’ve found signs of robbery.”

The oldest Winchester reached into his bag to pull out John’s hunting journal. He flipped through the pages as Riley waited to see what he’d find. Dean turned the notebook in their direction and pointed to a name. ‘D. Elkins”.

Riley looked over the page and saw a phone number beside the name. “That’s a Colorado area code. Wait, are you thinking it’s the same Elkins?”

“Only one way to find out.”

——

After a long day’s drive, the hunters found themselves on a snowy Colorado mountain. A small cabin sat alone amongst the trees. The light from the moon illuminated the blanket of white. Nothing but silence filled the mountain as more snow softly fell to the ground.

Dean picked the lock and the three stood in the doorway with flashlights. They split up and looked for anything to give them more information on the man who died there only days before. The home had been trashed. Furniture was overturned, items laid broken on the floor and papers had scattered.

Sam and Dean walked ahead as Finn sniffed near the door. Riley bent down to see what he had found and picked up white flecks into her hand. “Salt. It’s all right in front of the door.”

“Are we talking **‘protection-against-demons’ salt or ‘oops I spilled the popcorn’ salt?** ” The cabin was small, so even in the next room, Dean could engage in the conversation as he rifled through Elkins’ desk.

“Well, it’s definitely a ring.” With Riley at his side, Finn began to sniff more through the home. He had been trained to know when something smelled “off”. It had helped on hunts when it was just the two of them.

“You guys think Elkins was a player?” Sam asked.

“Definitely. Hey, guys…” Dean called. “Come check this out.”

The others found their way to him. Dean had a notebook opened in front of him. The pages were filled with random notes, newspaper clippings, phone numbers, information on supernatural creatures and more.

Sam scanned over the pages. **“Looks a hell of a lot like dad’s.”**

**“Yeah, except this dates back all the way to the ‘60s.”**

Finn’s whining could be heard in another part of the cabin and the three followed the sounds. When they found him, he was in the doorway of an office space. That room had seen the worst of the fray. The floors were cluttered with debris, glass, books and other odds and ends. With almost nowhere clear to walk, the hunters made their way through it. The dog continued to whimper at all the smells he picked up on. Blood stains covered the wood and had found their way to the floor. They had found where Elkins spent his last moments in terror.

Glass crunched under their boots and Riley looked up. The sunroofs had been shattered through. “Well, whatever came for this guy–there was definitely more than one.” She shined her light across the room. “This guy put up a hell of a fight from the looks of it.”

As they continued to search the room, Dean found what looked like an old wooden gun case amongst the chaos. It was empty and the shells it once held were missing as well. He moved his light to the other side of him and stumbled on what looked like scratches on the floor. Using a piece of paper and pencil, Dean rubbed the pencil over it to reveal a message.

“Sam, Rye…” he turned to give them the paper as they both studied it. “Three letters and six digits. It’s the location and combination for a post office box. That’s exactly how dad does it.”

——

The team got back into the Impala after finding the right post office. Inside they had found an envelope addressed to ‘J. W.’ Riley sat in the back with Finn as the boys got in the front. They debated whether or not to open it, wondering if it had been left for John.

A knock came from the driver’s side window and the hunters jumped at the sound. Smiling back at them, was John Winchester.

Seeing that he was coming for the backseat, Riley scooted over and made room as Finn laid in her lap. John got in the car and closed the door behind him. They were all shocked to see him.

 **“Dad! What are you doing here? Are you alright?”** Sam had quickly shifted in his seat to look at his father.

 **“Yeah, I’m okay. I read the news about Daniel. I got here as fast as I could.”** John looked over at the blue-eyed hunter beside him. “Saw you guys up at his place. I had to make sure you weren’t followed by anyone or anything.”

The youngest Winchester grew was almost jealous. **“Wait. You came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?”**

“He taught me a lot about hunting. We had a falling out years ago, but he was a good man.” Putting his hand out for the letter John said, **“I should look at that.”** When he was handed the letter he opened it and began to read. **“If you’re reading this, I’m already dead…”** John paused as he read on. **“That son of a bitch. He had it the whole time.** When you three searched the place, did you see an antique gun? A Colt revolver?”

“No, sir,” Dean replied. “There was an old gun case, but it was empty.”

“The things that killed Elkins, they have it. **We gotta pick up their trail.”** John hadn’t even finished his statement before he was already getting out of the car.

 **“Wait, you want us to come with you?”** Sam was stunned.

“The gun. If Elkins was telling the truth, we gotta go get it.”

“What? Why?”

“Because it’s _important_ that’s why,” John spoke more firmly. He never did well when his children questioned him. After a deep breath, he looked back at them. “We’re gonna be going after a nest of vampires. That’s what Elkins hunted. It was his specialty.” Hurrying back to his truck, John got in and started it up knowing the young hunters would be behind him.

Dean looked quickly back at the others and started up the car.

——

Later into the night, John sat listening to the police scanner in the subpar lodge they had all shared for the night. Sam had fallen asleep and so had Dean and Riley on their own bed as the cuddled up together. A tired Finn laid on the floor at the foot of their bed.

A call came through and John ordered everyone up. Groggy and disoriented, they all struggled to wake up.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked.

“Heard a call on the scanner. It’s the vamps.” John grabbed his jacket as he hurried for the door.

“What? How do you know?”

John turned to his son, slightly irritated. **“Just follow me, okay?”**

Still trying to fully wake up, the three grabbed their things to head out the door as Riley patted her leg for Finn to follow.

——

Riley was never a morning person and the lack of sleep started to hit her as they waited near the scene. She yawned. “Fuck, it’s early. Doesn’t your dad ever sleep?”

Sam leaned against the car irritated that John had left them behind to talk to the cops. He didn’t feel like a partner but like a child. John and his youngest son always butt heads, but mostly because Sam didn’t believe in being his father’s soldier.

John walked back to the car and told them they were on the right trail. That the vampires had come through and taken a couple. “They’re headed west. We’re gonna have to double back to get past the roadblock”

“How can you be so sure?” Sam asked in defiance.

Dean mumbled under his breath. “Here we go again.”

“I found a vampire tooth at the scene.” Handing it to Dean, John looked at Sam. “So, yeah. I’m sure.” With that final comment, he headed back for his truck. “Oh, and Dean. You might wanna give the car a touch up so you don’t get rust. You even got a fucking dog in it for Christ’s sake. **I wouldn’t have given you the damn thing if I thought you were gonna ruin it.”**

Even little comments like that made Dean feel like he was failing his dad. Riley felt it too. It got under her skin how much control and power John had over the man she loved. Dean could face any monster head on and never doubt himself. But his greatest fear was not being enough for his father.

——

The two vehicles had made their way down the highway. Sam’s irritation with his father continued to seep from him. His hands squeezed around the wheel as he drove. How pent up he was had been giving Riley anxiety as she felt it all. Negative energies and emotions were always harder to block out.

Trying to get her mind off of it, she offered her thoughts. “Odds are, those vamps drug that missing couple back to their nest.”

“That’s probably what dad’s thinking,” Sam agreed. “But I wouldn’t know. The man won’t ever tell us what he’s thinking.”

“Alright, Sam. We spent the last entire year looking for dad. Now, we’ve barely been with dad for more than a couple hours and you guys already have shit between you?” Dean knew that was how things were between his brother and father. He also knew that meant he would always get put in the middle.

Sighing, Sam replied, “No. It’s not like that. I’m glad he’s alright. I’m even happy that we’re all working together.” He couldn’t bite his tongue another minute as his tone changed. “He just treats us like children, Dean. Dad just barks orders at us and expects us to jump to his every command.” Sam’s anger grew and he began to vent. “He keeps us on some fucking stupid ‘need-to-know’ basis. This may have been alright when we were kids, but not now. Not after everything we’ve been through. I mean even you, Riley. Are you guys just _fine_ with him running the show?”

Riley just sat quietly knowing it wasn’t her place to speak on Dean’s behalf, no matter how much she wanted to.

“If that’s what it takes, Sam.” Dean was willing to humble himself to John. His phone rang and after he was given his order, he replied, “yes, sir. Got it,” before hanging up. “Take the next exit. Dad said he got the vampires trail.”

“How?” Sam asked with bite.

“He didn’t say.”

That was all it took for Sam to have had enough. Laying into the pedal, he sped up the car and passed his father’s truck. Whipping the car around to a stop, John’s car barely missed the Impala. A furious John got out of his car and marched towards them as Sam did the same.

“Oh, shit. Here we go.” Dean was familiar with the fights they would have and hated every moment. He got out to be the buffer and Riley sat in the backseat trying to breathe through the storm of rage and anger that surrounded the car.

“What the fuck was that?” John barked.

Seething with anger, Sam addressed John. “We’re gonna talk. _Right_ now.”

“About what?”

“Everything! Where are we going, dad? What the _hell_ is the deal with the gun? Huh? First, you say it’s too dangerous for us to all be together and then suddenly you need our help?”

Desperate to defuse the tension, Dean stepped up to them. “Come on, Sammy. Let’s deal with the vamps and we can do the Q&A later.”

 **“Your brother’s right, Sam. We don’t have time for this.** ” John stood stoically like the Marine he always was.

 **“Obviously, something big is going on, dad and we want to know what!”** The anger Sam had been keeping inside finally bubbled over as he yelled in his father’s face.

John took a step in his son’s direction and commanded for him to get back in the car.

 **“Look, you guys. We’re all tired. We can talk about this later.”** Grabbing his brother’s jacket, Dean shoved his brother towards the car. **“Sammy, I mean it. Come on.”**

 **“This is why I left in the first place,”** Sam scoffed under his breath.

 **“Yeah! You left!”** John had tolerated enough of his son’s disobedience. **“Your brother and me–we needed you! You walked away, Sam. _You_ walked away!”**

 **“You’re the one that told me not to come back, dad. You’re the one that closed that door, not me!”** Sam began to shout as his rage consumed him. **“You were just pissed off that you couldn’t** _fucking_ **control me anymore!”**

John reached out to grab Sam’s coat in frustration as the two were ready to fight. As Dean went to push himself between John and Sam, Riley stepped out of the car. Their rage had become her own.

“That’s enough!” she yelled forcefully as she slammed the door. “Sam! Get in the car. _Now_.” She turned to look at John and wasn’t afraid of him the way Dean was. Riley was firm as her brow furrowed. “Get back in your car, John.”

As the Winchesters worked to calm themselves, clouds formed from their lips as their breaths hit the air. The tension was palpable.

“She’s right.” Dean looked at them both in frustration as he pushed them apart. “This is over.” John and Sam both got into their cars and Dean was left there with Riley as they tried to steady their breathing. “Fan-freaking-tastic,” he added sarcastically as he threw his arms up in annoyance.

——

The truck and Impala found their way onto a dirt road behind a row of trees. Ahead of them, was an old barn with beat up cars out front. The wind blew through the overcast morning and the leaves rustled as the trunks of the two vehicles opened revealing their arsenals. It was time to gear up. The nest was in that barn and John wasn’t leaving without that gun.

Luckily, tensions had died down to an extent since the stop on the highway. Everyone was readying themselves with machetes. They knew that the fastest way to get this job done, was to be as stealthy as possible while the vampires slept. But if they were found out, beheading the creatures was going to be the only way out.

Finn would have to wait in the car but Riley wasn’t concerned in the least. He was trained to stay quiet and would wait patiently for them to return.

She turned towards Sam as she strapped her gun holster to her waist. “Look, I’m sorry if I was out of line earlier.”

Sam scoffed with a smile. “Nah. I’m cool with you letting me know when I’m being a jackass.”

“Oh, so it’s okay when _she_ does it?” Dean snarked. The others let out a small laugh.

As John prepared his weapons, he looked over at the young hunters. **“You** kids **really wanna know about this Colt?”**

“Yes, sir,” the boys replied.

 **“It’s just a legend. Well, I thought it was. I never really believed it until I read Daniel’s letter.”** He turned to face them. **“Back in 1835, when Halley’s Comet was overhead, the same night those men died at the Alamo, they say Samuel Colt made a gun. A special gun. He made it for a hunter. A man like us–only on horseback.”** With a sigh, he continued, **“the story goes, he made 13 bullets. This hunter used the gun a half a dozen times before he disappeared; the gun along with him. They say–this gun can kill anything.”**

Riley’s face changed as the stress from earlier began to melt. Nothing else mattered at that moment. She looked at John as her heart jumped into her throat. “…like the demon.”

 **“Yeah. The demon. Ever since I picked up its trail, I’ve been looking for a way to destroy that** son of a bitch. **Find the gun…and we may have it.”**

The three stood frozen in time as they realized the Colt might be what would lead them to the end of their lifelong nightmare.

——

John, Riley and the boys found a large barn window that would give them a way in. One by one, they climbed in to softly land on stored hay. A foul smell of death wafted through the air as it mixed with that of the hay and dirt. The light that peeked through the panels of the barn would have to be enough to guide them.

The four spread out without a command. They worked like a well-oiled machine. Armed and ready, they made their way through the barn through rows of hammocks. The vampires slept through the hours of painful sunlight.

On the opposite end sat a makeshift cage. Rusted fencing metal was used to keep in the nest’s prey. Six weak and fading people sat wasting away as they were slowly being drained of blood over time. Riley signaled towards Dean, motioning for them to head towards the prisoners. Dean worked to break the hinges of the door as quietly as possible. Putting a finger to her lips, Riley told the captives to remain unheard.

The amount of fear and suffering she could feel as she stood there was about to make her sick. She had to fight to keep all the pleas for help that rang through her mind under control. Riley was overwhelmed hearing more thoughts than one at a time as the vampire’s victims feared for their lives.

While John found the back of the aged farm building to find the leader of the nest, Sam saw a young woman tied to a post. She seemed unconscious and wore a blood-stained white blouse. The girl had obviously been bitten. Sam pulled out a knife from its sheath and crouched down as he began to cut her free. When he looked up, her eyes began to open.

He whispered, **“hey. I’m gonna get you out of here, okay?”** The woman’s jaw dropped open as she released a horrifying and inhuman scream. She had been turned.

All of the hunters jolted at the sound of the noise, realizing their cover was blown. As if the girl had set off an alarm, the sleeping creatures woke ready to attack. John yelled as he came from the back, “run! Go! Go!”

Doing as he said, the three found themselves in a full sprint towards the entrance of the barn. They hurried into the embrace of the sun as they ran in the direction of the cars.

Sam, Dean, and Riley tried to catch their breaths as John came from the trees behind them. **“They won’t follow. They’ll wait ‘til tonight. Once a vampire gets your scent, it’s for life.** They’ll come for us.”

“Alright,” Riley said through her deep breaths, “so what do we do?”

——

The motel room had every shade drawn as they prepared for nightfall. Sam and John sat alone awkwardly in silence while Riley and Dean had run an errand.

With Finn at his side, Sam sat on the bed stroking his fur as his father went through his research. The feeling of bad blood from the night before still hung in the air. Neither knew how to cross the bridge they had seemed to burn.

“I never told you this,” John’s voice broke through the quiet in the room as he played with a pen in his hand. “But I had college funds started for you boys. I wanted you to go and make something of yourselves someday.” He turned to look at his son. “This was never the life I wanted for you.

**“Then why’d you get so mad when I left?”**

“When your mother died, all I could see what evil. All that mattered to me was keeping you boys alive. I wanted you both ready. **Except, somewhere along the line I stopped being your father and became your drill sergeant.”** Sam made his way to the desk his dad sat at, ready to hear what he had to say. “When you told me you wanted to go to school–Sammy, I was just so damn scared. You would be alone and vulnerable. I guess it just never really occurred to me to think about what you wanted. Maybe it was just because of how different we are.”

The silence returned but with a different feel. The Winchester men breathed a sigh of relief as the air around them felt less thick. It was the first time that Sam had ever felt like he could really understand John. He never knew the way his father reacted to him leaving wasn’t about control. It was about the crippling fear of losing his little boy.

“Dad,” Sam started. “We’re more alike than you think.”

“How so?”

“With what happened to mom, and then to Jessica? I think **we have a lot more in common than just about anyone.”**

John mourned the fact that Sam knew the pain he had gone through in losing his wife. No one should have to endure that kind of suffering, let alone his child. But as his tears formed in his eyes, there was a glimmer of hope. Hope that their relationship could mend itself. A smile formed at the corner of John’s mouth. **“I guess you’re right.”**

The door opened as Riley and Dean came in. Dean held a brown paper bag in his hand as he held the door for her. After greeting Finn, she walked over to the desk to join Sam and John.

“We just stole blood…from a funeral home. How did this become our lives?” she asked with sass.

Dean chuckled as he removed a bottle from the bag. Thick blood filled the glass container that he sat on the desk. **“That was a lot of security to protect a bunch of dead guys.”**

Looking up at the others John gave his command with a single nod. **“You know what to do.”**

——

On the side of the road, late in the night, Dean leaned over the Impala’s open hood. The headlights were off as he felt around the engine.

 **“Car trouble?”** the voice of a woman spoke out from behind him. Dean spun around to see a long-haired brunette. She was in washed out jeans with a matching vest that wrapped over her black long sleeved shirt. **“Let me give you a lift. I’ll take you back to my place.”** Her tone was seductive as she got close to the hunter.

“Pass. I’m into some kinky shit, but **I draw the line at necrophilia,”** he replied sarcastically.

The woman gave a chuckle before striking him with the back of her hand. Her strength sent Dean straight to the ground. As another vampire approached, the female creature grabbed him by the face and lifted him up in the air leaving his feet to dangle.

“You’re a forward one aren’t ya?” Dean grunted as he grabbed at her wrists. **“I don’t usually get this friendly till the second date.”**

 **“You know, we could have some fun. I always like to make new friends.”** She lowered him down still holding his face and forced him into a kiss. When she was finished, she held him out in front of her.

“You know, I wish I could, but I’m not exactly on the market right now.” An arrow was heard whisking through the air before it thudded into the other vampire’s chest and another into her back. “Sorry. Looks like you may have pissed off my girlfriend.”

The vampire turned around as Riley walked out from the shadows with a crossbow in hand. John came from the opposite side with one as well while Sam held a machete. Looking at the other hunters, the vampire snickered, **“barely even stings.”** She released Dean ready to fight the others.

 **“Give it time, sweetheart,”** John replied in a cocky tone. **“That arrow’s soaked in dead man’s blood.”** The creature gave a look of shock before falling to the ground nearly unconscious. Pointing to her body John ordered to the others, “load her up in the truck.” The remaining vampire was still alert but on his knees. John looked at him taking Sam’s machete. **“I’ll take care of this one.”**

——

A small bonfire had been set ablaze as Sam patrolled the area. John walked over from his truck with a sack of items that he handed to Dean. **“Toss this on the fire. Saffron, skunk’s cabbage and trillium. It’ll block our scent and hers until we’re ready.”**

“Ugh. This friggin stuff stinks.”

**“That’s the idea. Dust your clothes with the ashes, and you stand a chance of not being detected.”**

Riley turned to look at her boyfriend. “First you make out with a dead chick, and now you smell like _actual_ shit. How did I get so lucky?” she asked in sarcasm. Dean chuckled as he playfully went to kiss her. She cringed and pushed him away.

“They’ll come for the girl. Vampires mate for life so she means more to the leader than the gun. The blood sickness will wear off soon though, so we don’t have a lot of time.” John closed up the trunk. “Thirty minutes or so and then you all get out of the area as fast as you can. I’ll have the Colt so I’ll handle the rest of them.”

“Ok,” Sam started hesitantly. “But _afterward_ we’re gonna meet up and use the Colt together? _Right_?” There was a long pause as John refused to answer. “You’re gonna leave again and go after the demon alone, aren’t you?” He scoffed. “You know, **I don’t get you. You can’t keep treating us like children,** dad.”

 **“You _are_ my children,”** John barked. **“I’m trying to keep you safe!”**

Dean couldn’t stand staying quiet any longer. **“Dad, all due respect but, uh, that’s a bunch of** shit.”

Riley’s eyes grew watching him challenge his father’s words. She wasn’t sure she would see a day where Dean stepped out of rank.

 **“Excuse me?”** John was thrown by his son’s words.

 **“You know what Sammy,** Riley **and I have been hunting. Hell, you sent us on a few hunting trips yourself. You can’t be that worried about keeping us safe.”**

**“It’s not the same thing, Dean.”**

Crossing her arms, Riley stepped closer to be a part of the conversation. “So what is it then, John? Why don’t you want us to be a part of this? This fight means just as much to us as it does to you.” Her words showed her lack of patience with the man.

He turned to face her. John always knew that Riley was a fiery woman but was still surprised she spoke out against him. **“This demon? It’s a bad son of a bitch. I can’t make the same moves if I’m worried about keeping you** all **alive.”**

 **“You mean you can’t be as _reckless_ ,”** Dean bit back.

**“Look…I don’t expect to make it out of this fight in one piece. Your mother’s death–it almost killed me. I can’t watch my children die too. I won’t.”**

Riley braced herself as the emotions from the Winchesters began to engulf her. She was learning to always be ready for them whenever the family would have to talk.

 **“What happens if you die?”** Dean stepped up to his father. **“Dad, what happens if you die, and we could have done something about it? You know I’ve been thinking. I think maybe Sammy’s right about this one. We should do this together.” Sam nodded in agreeance.**

“John,” Riley’s voice was softer and more pleading. “We’re stronger together. You _know_ we are.” There was a moment of silence and Riley tried to read his thoughts. She could only catch pieces. It was almost like his thoughts were too scattered to make sense.

Finally, he turned towards his sons. **“We’re running out of time. You do your job and you get out of the area. That’s an order,”** John said as he headed back for his truck.

The three stood there unsure of what to do. They knew there was no arguing with John but there was no way in hell they were going to wait on the sidelines for the most important fight of their lives.

——

John was going to find the leader and make a trade for the Colt on his own. At that time, Sam, Dean, and Riley had gone back to free the prisoners in the barn.

Cars had been following John for quite a long stretch of road. He had been watching from his rearview mirror, keeping an eye on their distance. With one more check, the cars had gone. John turned his head to get a better look, only to see the fog rolling behind him. As he turned back to face the road ahead of him, John had to hit the brakes as he saw the nest of vampires waiting in the road. The headlights created a glare in their eyes that gave them a strange glow.

“Get out,” the leader ordered. He was tall with long shaggy hair and wore a black leather jacket. As John got out of the car the vampire continued. “I’m Luther. Who the fuck are you?”

 **“Name’s Winchester.”** Reaching into the truck, John drug out the weak woman. She was bound in rope and still groggy. “She’ll be fine.” He paused to look at their leader in the eyes, “dead man’s blood.”

**“You son of a bitch.”**

“A trade. I want the Colt. The gun you took from Elkins.”

Luther started to laugh. “That’s what this is about? You think you can just shoot us?”

 **“Oh, I don’t need it for you. I’m saving it for something else.”** The hunter gave a cocky smirk. **“So put the gun down or she goes first.”**

Obeying the demands, the vampire placed the Colt onto the road. He stepped back to give a safe distance for the hunter to retrieve it. As John went to reach down for the gun, the drugged vampire had regained her strength and pulled from her restraints. She swung around and struck him with force as he fell to the ground.

A snickering Luther walked over to John as he stood back up. The monster hit him hard enough to fly back into his door’s window. The glass shattered around him as he met the pavement once again; this time knocking him out.

Arrows shot through the air and impaled two of the nest members. Sam, Riley, and Dean had finished their mission but weren’t about to leave John on his own. They charged at full speed into the road ready to fight. Dean swung hard, taking off one of the creature’s heads off as Sam fired another arrow.

Riley came out from behind a tree with her crossbow ready and Luther brought her to the ground. She groaned out in pain as her back hit the floor and the wind had been knocked out of her. As he looked down at Riley, she could hear a strange hissing come from the monster. It wasn’t audible, but she could almost feel it in her bones. Luther’s cold hand grabbed her up off the ground and he wrapped his arm around her throat.

Dean immediately reacted to her being taken and turned towards Luther with the machete. His eyes were filled with hate and his blood boiled watching the monster hold onto her. “You son of a bitch.”

“Don’t,” Luther hissed. “Put it down or I snap her neck.”

Being too caught in the moment, Riley had no thoughts to attempt to send Dean’s way. She gasped for air as her throat began to feel squeezed. The moment she had to fight for air, Dean put his hand up in surrender. There was no way he would risk her life. His blade clanked on the ground as he conceded to the demands.

 **“You people.”** Anger poured from Luther as he held tightly onto the hunter’s throat. **“Why can’t you leave us alone? We have as much right to live as you do.”**

 **“I don’t think so,”** a deep voice spoke out from behind him.

Luther turned to the voice, still holding Riley. He was met with the barrel of the Colt pointed in his direction as John held it firmly in his hand. Before he could respond, the hunter pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed through the empty highway as a bullet found its target in Luther’s forehead.

A large almost rotted-looking circle immediately appeared at the entrance wound. Luther stumbled and released Riley. She gasped for air as Dean grabbed her to hold her close and Sam hurried to their sides. Blood seeped from the vampire’s skull and ran down his face as a mystical glow came from the bullet’s entry. A rush of wind blew in as Luther’s face quickly flashed an almost skeletal appearance. Black veins stretched out across his pale skin and he fell to his knees. He grunted in pain as a light shot through his skull finally ending him. The then lifeless corpse landed on the ground.

Luther’s mate screamed in fury and pain. Her wrath and monstrous-like screams echoed in Riley’s mind. Another nest member took the woman by the arm and drug her away back to her vehicle. Once inside, the driver laid on the pedal and sped them away in a desperate escape.

John stood still in his spot as a satisfied grin curled at his lips. It was true. The Colt was real.

——

Riley filled up Finn’s bowl of water and sat it in the corner as she tidied up. Sam and Dean worked to clean off their gear after an eventful night.

 **“You boys ignored a direct order back there,”** John stated as he walked in the door.

 **“Yes, sir,”** Sam replied.

Dean looked at his father with no fear. **“But we saved your ass.”**

Sam’s face was shocked as he looked at his brave brother. Riley was bursting with pride for Dean. So much so, that she found him even more attractive in that moment.

 **“You’re right,”** John admitted.

 **“I am?”** Dean was in no way prepared for that response.

Nodding his head, John looked at his children. “It scares the hell out of me. But you two are all I’ve got.” He turned to Riley and Finn. “Well, the four of you, I guess,” Riley smirked as she pet the faithful dog at her side. “You were right, Riley.” John looked at the three young hunters in front of him as he surrendered to their only chance of ending it all. “We go after this damn thing…as a family. _Together_.”

——

The next day, John had set up a station at the desk. Papers, pictures, news clippings, weather reports and more were pinned to the wall behind him. Books were stacked on the desk and years of research were spread out.

Sam sat near John as they worked through his findings. Dean had been pacing when Riley came in from a walk with Finn.

“Good, you’re back.” Looking up at her, John motioned for her to come to him.

Dean gave her a kiss hello and they walked over as his hand found her waist.

 **“Look, our whole lives we been searching for this demon right?** There hasn’t been a damn trace of it, **until about a year ago.** **For the first time, I picked up a trail.”**

 **“That’s when you took off.”** Dean finally understood and John nodded. **“Alright, so what’s this trail you found?”**

**“It starts in Arizona, then New Jersey and then California. Houses burned down to the ground. It’s going after families, just like it went after us.”**

“Families with babies,” Riley added.

 **“Yeah. On the night of the kid’s six-month birthday.”** Sam and Riley turned to each other. “You both were _exactly_ six months old the nights the demon came.”

 **“So basically, this demon is going after these kids for some reason.”** Sam began to walk away into a pace. **“The same way it came for me? So Mom’s death–Jessica? It’s all because of me?”**

Riley’s head snapped in his direction. “So, what? Does that mean I’m to blame for what happened to _my_ mom and to _Deb_? Is that what you think?”

“I don’t know, Rye. I mean as much as it sucks, that’s kind of what it looks like.”

 **“For the _last_ time,” **Dean’s voice was filled with frustration. “What happened to everyone was neither of your faults.”

Sam scoffed. “Fine, so it’s not my fault, but it’s my problem.”

 **“No! It’s not _your_ problem. It’s _our_ problem.” **Dean had listened to his brother blame himself for too long and he wasn’t about to let his self-hatred feed into Riley’s.

John stood and his chair squeaked on the wooden floors. **“Okay, that’s enough.”** Everyone took a moment to take a breath and calm themselves. “I don’t even know what the son of a bitch wants with these kids. **I wish I had more answers, I do. I’ve always been one step behind it. I’ve never even gotten there in time to save…”** John couldn’t even find the words to finish that sentence as he hung his head in shame. _“I failed them all. Just like I failed Mary,”_ he thought as he ran a hand down his face.

Riley could feel the conflict in him and in his thoughts. “Okay, so how do we find it before it strikes again?”

 **“There are signs. It took me a while to see the pattern but it’s there in the days before these fires signs crop up in an area.”** John handed different papers with information to the three hunters. “ **Cattle deaths, temperature fluctuations, electrical storms. And then I went back and checked…they all happened in Lawrence, a week before your mother died. And in Palo Alto before Jessica.** Riley, the same thing before what happened to your mom _and_ to Debbie. **And these signs,”** he paused. **“They’re starting again.”**

 **“Where?”** Sam’s tone was filled with a sense of urgency.

**“…Salvation, Iowa.”**

A lump formed in Riley’s throat as she came to a realization. She walked over to her canine companion and crouched in front of him. Finn licked her face knowing that she needed the comfort. A tear ran down her face and she sniffled. Riley cleared her throat. “Guys,” she started. Sam and Dean turned in her direction as she struggled to compose herself. “We gotta take Finn to Missouri’s. It’s too dangerous and we’re going through Kansas on our way to Iowa.” She wiped her face and rubbed the dog’s ears. “I can’t risk it.”

Dean made his way over to her and she stood to meet his embrace. His hand rubbed up and down her opposite arm in comfort. “I know it’ll be hard, sweetheart. We’ll go get him when it’s safe. I promise.”

“I’ll give Missouri a call.” Sam grabbed his phone and made his way outside.

Riley squat down to the ground, looking Finn in the eyes and lovingly petting him. “I gotta keep you safe, buddy. But I swear, I’ll come back for you.”

——

In the Impala, Dean sat fixated on the road as he followed his father’s truck. Riley sat in the back. She strummed at the strings on her guitar in an attempt to take her mind off her aching heart.

Riley knew Missouri would take care of Finn. That he would be safe. But leaving him behind felt wrong. She was going to miss him so much and she tried to ignore the tears that urged themselves from her eyes. Saying goodbye to him earlier that day was like a knife to the gut.

John’s truck pulled to the side of the road and Dean followed. The two cars parked as John got out and began to curse through his growing emotions. “Goddammit!” His hands ran through his hair before he struck the car in anger. “Son of a bitch!”

“Dad, what’s going on?” Dean asked as the three of them hurried his way.

“I just got a call from Caleb,” he paused as his head fell. “Jim Murphy’s dead.”

Riley struggled to keep her emotions in check as John’s seemed to soak into her core. When she was vulnerable, the feelings she picked up on seemed to magnify to an unbearable level. She knew Pastor Jim. He helped take care of her and her father several times when they needed him most. Jim was a good man and a respected hunter.

“How?” she asked as her voice broke.

**“His throat was slashed. He bled out. Caleb said they found traces of sulfur at Jim’s place.”**

**“A demon?”** Dean paused. **“ _The_ demon?”**

John shrugged as his hands found his jacket pockets. **“I don’t know. Could be he just got careless and he slipped up. Maybe the demon knows we’re getting close.”**

Sam’s jaw clenched. “So what do we do?”

**“Now we act like every second count. There’s two hospitals and a health center in this county. We split up, cover more ground. I want records. I want a list of _every_ infant that’s going to be six months old in the next week.”**

“John that could be an impossible amount of kids,” Riley said in worry.

“So we check ‘em all.” John began to shake as his anger rose thinking of his friend’s death. “ **This ends, _now_. I’m ending it. I don’t care what it takes.”** John turned towards his car and got in before slamming the door.

Sam, Riley, and Dean shot each other a look before hurrying back to Baby.

——

The Winchesters and Riley had reached Salvation. Their only hope of finding the families that were in danger was to search hospital records. Dean and Riley worked through the files of one hospital while Sam and John searched two others.

As Sam walked out of the Salvation Medical Center front doors, he flipped through his notebook of information he’d gathered. A familiar pain rushed through his skull as he clutched his forehead. It was another vision.

Flashes of a nursery in the middle of the night took over. A brown-haired woman walked into her daughter’s room as the sound of a train whistle blew from outside. Sam breathed heavily through the pain as he saw the shadow of the demon next to the cooing child. The next flash was nothing but the room set ablaze as the woman was pinned to the ceiling.

When it had finally passed, Sam’s head shot up. “A train.” He pulled a map from a pocket in his backpack looking for tracks nearby. Spotting where he thought he should go, Sam took off. He was going to find the house he had seen in his vision. Sam had to know if what he saw was real.

——

The hunters had all made their way back to the motel they had checked into. John sat with his hands clasped as he leaned against them. Riley and Dean sat side by side in silence as Sam told them all about his vision.

 **“A vision?”** John’s tone went flat. “And you think this will _actually_ happen to the woman you went and found because…”

 **“Because things happen the way I see them.”** Sam rubbed his head still recovering from the lingering pain.

Dean looked towards his father. **“They started out as nightmares. Then they started happening when he was awake,”** he said as he got up to go pour a cup of coffee.

 **“It seems like the closer I get to anything involving the demon,”** Sam winced, **“the stronger the visions get.”**

John stood in a huff. “When the hell did you all plan on telling me this? Jesus, Dean, **something like this starts happening to your brother, you pick up the phone and you _call_ me.”**

 **“ _Call_ you?”** Dean asked in sarcasm. **“Are you kidding me?** I called you from Lawrence when we went back to the house. I _called_ you when Riley’s aunt died.” He made his way back to his spot next to Riley.

“John, I called you when Dean was _dying_.” Riley had bitten her tongue long enough. “We got a better chance of winning the lottery than getting you on the phone.” She felt John’s energy shift. He knew they were right. Silence fell in the room as no one knew what to say.

“You’re right,” John admitted. “Although I’m not too fond of this new tone of yours, Dean, you’re right. I’m sorry.” He looked over at Riley. “You _both_ are right.”

Sighing, Riley closed her eyes as she worked up the courage to ‘rip off the band-aid’ and tell John the rest. “It’s not just Sam.”

John’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Sweetheart, you don’t have to–” Dean started before Riley interrupted him.

“It’s ok, Dean,” she said putting a hand sweetly on his arm. “John, Sam isn’t the only one dealing with this stuff.” Riley took another deep breath. “I’ve been developing empathic abilities. I _feel_ people’s emotions. And…”

John sighed, “there’s more?”

“I still don’t know how to control it…but I can hear thoughts sometimes.”

“…telepathy.”

Riley nodded. “It all started around the same time Sam’s nightmares started.”

Again, the silence had returned. John rubbed his temples as he tried to absorb the overwhelming information. _“What would Jackson think if he were here?”_ he thought.

“He wouldn’t judge me, John. He would tell me not to be afraid.”

John’s head shot back up to look back at her. His eyes were wide and he knew it was all true.

“Look, psychic abilities or not, we know the demon is coming tonight.” Sam knew they were wasting time. “And another family is gonna go through what both of ours did.”

 **“No, they’re not,”** John replied in certainty. **“No one is, ever again.”**

Just as John finished speaking, Sam’s phone rang. Flipping it open, he answered. “Hello?”

“Well, hi, Sam. Long time no talk.”

The familiar and sinister feminine voice sent a chill down his spine. “Meg.” The others turn to Sam in a slight panic. **“Last time we talked, you fell out of a window.”**

 **“Yeah, that really hurt my feelings,”** Meg teased. “Let me speak to your dad.”

“I don’t know where he is, Meg.”

**“It’s time for the grown-ups to talk, Sam. Let me speak to him… _now_.”**

Sam hesitated before he gave his father the phone. John brought it to his ear. **“This is John.”**

 **“Howdy, John. I’m Meg. I’m a friend of your boys. I’m also the one who watched Jim Murphy choke on his own blood.”** There was a pause as John struggled not to lose control. **“…still there John-boy?”**

**“…I’m here.”**

**“Well, that was yesterday. Today I’m in Lincoln. Visiting another old friend of yours.** You and Caleb go way back, don’t you, John?”

 **“You listen to me.** Caleb’s got nothing to do with anything. **You let him go.”**

Sam, Riley, and Dean jump at the name they knew all too well. John’s heart sank in his chest.

**“We know you have the Colt.”**

Trying to compose himself, John lied, **“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”**

“Oh, okay, John. Well, why don’t you give this a listen?” Immediately, the sound of Caleb gasping and gurgling came through the phone. Meg had slit his throat. **“You hear that? That’s the sound of your friend dying,”** she snickered. **“Now let’s try this again. We know you have the gun John, word travels fast. So as far as we’re concerned you just declared war. And this is what war looks like. It has casualties.”**

**“I’m gonna kill you. You know that?”**

**“Oh John please, mind your blood pressure,”** Meg taunted. **“So this is the thing. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing. And your friends, anyone who has ever helped you, gave you shelter, anyone you ever loved. They’ll all die unless you give us that gun.”**

John swallowed hard as he realized he had no other option. “…okay. I’ll bring you the Colt.”

 **“There’s a warehouse in Lincoln, on the corner of Wabash and Lake. You’re gonna meet me there.** Midnight, tonight.” Her voice was calm but stern. Meg knew she had him right where she wanted him.

**“That’s impossible. It’s gonna take me about a days drive to get there. I can’t get there in time and I can’t just carry a gun on the plane.”**

**“Oh. Well, I guess your friends die, don’t they?** Such a shame. But, **if you do decide to make it, come alone.”** The line disconnected.

John closed the phone as he looked up at his boys and Riley.

Sam shook his head. “Do you think Meg is a demon?”

 **“Either that or she’s possessed by one,”** John answered.

Riley looked distressed as her mind went a mile a minute. “Oh my god.”

“What is it?” Sam asked reaching for her shoulder.

“She’s possessed. It all makes sense now.” She scoffed as she began to pace. “When we were in the warehouse, I felt something. Well, actually…I didn’t feel anything. It was like she was a shell of a person. Like there was nothing but darkness and emptiness inside of her.” Riley stopped and looked up at the Winchester men as another realization came over her. “I heard her.”

Dean could see the almost panic-like state she was in. “Who, Rye?”

“The girl Meg is possessing.” Riley sat on the bed in almost a moment of defeat. “I–I heard a faint, distant scream coming from her. Like someone was crying for help. I didn’t know what it was at the time. But…I was hearing the woman trapped inside.” As she looked up, tears formed in her eyes. She felt she should have known that woman needed her. That she’d been left there all that time to suffer.

Crouching in front of her, Dean took her hands. “Look at me.” His green eyes found her crying blues. “There was _nothing_ you could have done. You did _nothing_ wrong.” He wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. “I think you’re more powerful than we thought, Riley.”

“He’s right,” John agreed. “I’ve never even _heard_ of anyone being able to do that.”

Sam bit his lip before speaking. “It’s so strange. Mine haven’t evolved like that. It’s almost like–Riley’s abilities are tied to souls. Emotions, thoughts, presence…it’s their essence.”

“Well, whatever it is,” Dean stood to sit beside Riley. “We’ll figure it out.”

John turned to grab his things and start collecting his research. **“I’m going to Lincoln.”**

 **“What?** ” Dean couldn’t believe his father would cave in to their demands.

**“It doesn’t look like we have a choice. If I don’t go, a lot of people die, our friends die.”**

**“Dad, the demon is coming tonight,”** Sam pleaded, “for that woman and **her family. That gun is all we got, you can’t just hand it over.”**

 **“Who said anything about handing it over?”** John put on his coat as he readied to leave. **“Look, besides us and a couple of vampires no ones really seen the gun, no one knows what it looks like.** We’ll go to an antique store. Find another old revolver.”

“Wait a minute,” Riley said giving John a confused look. “You’re just gonna try and pass a fake and hope she doesn’t notice?

“I just need to get one that resembles the Colt. As long as it’s close, she won’t notice. I just need to buy a few extra hours.”

Sam understood where his father’s plan was headed. “You mean for us and Riley.” He paused and dread filled him. **“You want us to stay here…and kill this demon by ourselves.”**

 **“No, Sam. I want to stop losing people we _love_. I want _you_ to go to school,** I want Dean and Riley to build a home if they want to…” John began to weep and his voice broke with every word. **“I want Mary alive…I just want this to be over.”**

——

Somewhere down a muddy road, the four hunters met under an old wooden train bridge. The rain softly fell and rippled in the pools of water at their feet as a whistle blew in the distance.

Dean pulled a brown paper bag out from inside his jacket and handed it to John. **“You know this is a trap don’t you?”** As he pulled back the bag, he could see an antique revolver. The barrel was long and silver and it had a brown wooden handle. It looked like a distant relative of the Colt. **“That’s why Meg wants you to come alone.”**

 **“I can handle her,”** John smiled. **“I got a whole arsenal loaded. Holy water, Mandaic, amulets…”**

Dean interrupted. **“Dad, promise me something.”** Riley hooked into his arm as his hands sat in his pockets and leaned into him to comfort him. **“This thing goes south just–get the hell out. Don’t get yourself killed all right, you’re no good to us dead.”**

 **“Same goes for you.”** There was a long drug out pause between them. **“Alright, listen to me. They made the bullets special for this colt. There’s only four of them left. Without them this gun is useless. You make every shot count.”**

 **“Yes, sir,”** both sons acknowledged.

 **“Been waiting a long time for this fight. Now it’s here I’m not gonna be in it. It’s up to you three now. It’s your fight, you finish this. You finish what I started. Understand?”** John handed the Colt to Dean as he hesitantly took it.

 **“We’ll see you soon, dad.”** Sam tried to control the sadness and worry that swam through him.

The emotions between them all under that bridge were so intense. Riley had stayed quiet trying to be their rock while she tried to steady herself through it all.

 **“I’ll see you later.”** John patted Sam’s shoulder with a smile before turning to leave. With one last look at his children, John got into his truck and the door slammed shut. As he drove away down the muddy road, the three stood where he had left them watching him disappear into the distance.

Riley reached out her hand for Sam’s and clasped it in hers. She pulled him closer to her side. Holding onto her brother and linked with the man she loved, they stood silently in the rain. They had never been closer to the end of it all. And as afraid as they were for themselves and for John–Sam, Dean, and Riley knew that they would fight to the end. …as a family.

——


	12. "Devil's Trap Part 2"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John's in trouble and it's up to the three young hunters to save him while they continue their hunt for yellow-eyes.

**Word Count: 3,722**

**Content Warning: language and violence**

**DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.**

A duffle bag hung on Dean’s shoulder as the three walked beside the river. Their only hope of finding John was if they could find any clue on where he might be. Meg’s final words were little help and they knew they were running out of time

“Guys…” stopping in her tracks, Riley put out her arm to stop the boys. “Think maybe that’s what Meg meant by ‘sunrise’?” She turned to look at the building to their right and they followed her glance. An apartment building sat across the street with a sign out front that read: “Sunrise Apartments”. 

Sam, Riley, and Dean stayed hidden behind scattered trees to get a closer look. Families with children played on the front lawn of the building on a seemingly normal street. 

**“Son of a bitch. That’s pretty smart.”** Dean turned to the others. “They can possess whoever they want. It could be anybody.” 

“Which means anyone could attack us,” Sam agreed. 

Riley imagined all the innocent lives inside the building. All the people that were just going about their everyday lives. “They know we can’t kill them. They’re using them as friggin’ shields. And you know they probably know what we look like too.” 

Dean nodded. “Okay, so we pull the fire alarm and get the civilians out.” 

“That means we’ll have seven minutes before the city responds.” 

**“Seven minutes exactly,”** Sam confirmed. 

—— 

Sam had gone in and out of the building without being detected after he pulled the fire alarm. The tenants made their way out as the loud bell echoed through the halls. 

Just as they planned, the fire department and paramedics rolled up to the scene. Sirens wailed and firefighters went into the building to secure it. The three met behind one of the trucks as Sam picked a lock on one of the side storage doors. He grabbed two jackets, helmets and bags with equipment as he and Dean threw them on. 

“Alright, you guys go look for John. I’m gonna find another way in. I’ll find you.” Riley looked at Dean and smirked. “You look _good_ in that.” 

“Oh, _really_?” Dean chuckled. “Got a thing for a man in uniform?” he asked as he bit his lip. 

Sam rolled his eyes. “Really? Now? What is it with you two and costumes?” 

“Hey…” Dean started. “Don’t get cranky just because we have an awesome sex life.” 

Letting out a little laugh, Riley went on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on her boyfriend’s lips. “Be careful. I’ll see you both soon.” She squeezed Sam’s hand with a final look and hurried out of sight. 

—— 

Sam and Dean had made their way up several floors looking for signs of anything conspicuous. Holding out his EMF detector, Dean led the way. **“I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up,”** he said muffled through his helmet. 

**“You never told me that.”**

The device whirred out of control as they stepped in front of one of the apartments. They immediately banged on the door. **“This is the fire department. We need you to evacuate,”** Dean ordered. When the door was unlocked, Sam and Dean forced their way in. 

Without hesitation, they began to spray their pressurized water tanks at the possessed couple inside. They had filled them with holy water and the man and woman seemed to sizzle and burn as it hit them. The two yelled out as the Winchesters continued their assault on them and their eyes went black. 

Sam grabbed the man and hit him in the face before shoving him into a closet and slamming it shut. The woman kicked and flailed about as Dean held onto her and drug her to the coat closet as well. Sam opened it again for a moment, as they threw her in and once again closed it. The demons banged on the door trying to get out and Dean held it shut as Sam poured a ring of salt in front of it. The struggle inside the closet ceased. 

After quickly removing the firemen’s gear, the brothers headed for the bedroom door. Sam stood ready as Dean opened it. When they looked inside, there was John. He was sprawled out on the bed and tied to all four corners. He didn’t seem to be coherent as Dean rushed to his side. Sam stood still, terrified they were too late. 

**“He’s still breathing.”**

The youngest Winchester let out a large sigh of relief as the oldest went to cut him free. **“Wait!”** Sam said. **“He could be possessed for all we know. We gotta be sure.”** He pulled out a silver flask from the gear bag and twisted it open. Hesitantly, almost afraid to know the answer, Sam splashed the holy water over his father’s body. 

John began to come to as he weakly looked at his boys. He had been beaten and his face was bloody and bruised. Groggily, he asked, **“Sam? Why are you splashing water on me?”** A breathy laugh escaped Sam in response. 

“Dad? Are you okay?” Dean was back to cutting his father free. 

“Yeah…yeah. They’ve been drugging me.” His voice was tired. “Boys, the Colt…where is it?” 

**“It’s safe, dad. Don’t worry.”**

**“Good boys…good boys…”** John’s voice faded. 

Sam and Dean pulled their dad off the bed and tucked themselves under both of his arms to carry him out. As they went to leave, the front door of the apartment was kicked open. A possessed fireman and paramedic came in ready to fight. 

“Go back! Go back!” Sam shouted as they made their way back into the bedroom and closed the door behind them. 

An ax came wailing through the wooden door as Sam tried to cover himself while he poured a salt line. 

The bedroom window flew open. Riley stood on the fire escape with a smile. “Miss me?” she asked with a smile. 

“Oh, hell yes,” Dean answered. 

The brothers worked to get John through the open window and onto the metal escape. When they were out, Sam made another line of salt on the windowsill before following the others down. 

Riley and Dean stood at the bottom and helped John jump down from the ladder towards the sidewalk. As soon as Sam had reached the concrete, he ran ahead to get the car ready for their get-away. Before he could reach it, he was tackled by a possessed man. The demon wailed on the hunter’s face with a closed fist.

“Sam!” Shouting, and leaving his father with Riley, Dean sprinted to his brother’s aid. When the demon saw him, he waved his arm and a force took Dean through the air and into a car’s windshield. He groaned out in pain as the sound of glass cracked with every movement. 

As she left John leaning against the wall, Riley sprinted as fast as her legs could take her towards Sam. The demon stopped his attack on the young Winchester and shot a sinister smile her way. His black eyes somehow looked pleased with her attempt to help as she was sent sailing through the air. 

The sound of a gunshot rang through the alleyway as a bullet went through the side of the demon’s skull with ease. A small amount of black smoke seeped from the body as it crashed to the ground. A form of magical electrical current ran over him. 

Dean stood at a distance with the Colt in hand as it smoked from the shot. He went to his brother’s side and pulled him up off the ground. “Come on. Sammy, come on. We gotta go.” Sam was completely disoriented and bloody after his beating. He wobbled on his feet as Dean tried to hold him steady. “Riley!” Dean yelled. 

Coming out from behind a truck, Riley stumbled. “I’m okay.” She had a slight limp and had a small cut on her jawline. Pushing through, she went back for John and held onto him as she guided him to the car. 

John’s oldest son looked down at the man he had shot. Moments before, he was a creature out to kill his family, and now he was only a man. A pool of blood poured from his head as Dean thought of the life he had just taken. The guilt was so strong that Riley had to almost gasp for air as she felt it coming from him. He looked back up at her with pain in his eyes as he dragged his baby brother along. 

—— 

In a small hunting cabin, in a remote part of the woods, the team had found their way to safety. Most of the surrounding trees were bare and the night was dark and foggy. The black Chevy sat waiting out front. 

Sam poured lines of salt in front of every door and window. Most of the lights were off as they hoped to stay hidden from the roads. Only a few here and there scattered a soft glow around them. 

As Dean walked in the room, he observed his bruised and swollen brother. It was never easy for him to see him hurt even as grown men. 

“Hey,” Sam started as he turned from the window. “You don’t think anything followed us, do you?” 

**“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I mean, we couldn’t have found a more out-of-the-way place to hole up.”**

“Dean…you–you saved my life back there.” 

“Yeah, well, guess you’re glad I brought the Colt, huh?” 

Sam scoffed in response. **“How’s dad?”**

“Resting. Riley is too. Been too long since the woman got a decent night’s sleep.” Dean worked up the courage to open up to his brother. “Sam…” he paused. “I killed a guy today. There was a person in there.” 

**“You didn’t have a choice.”**

**“That’s not what bothers me,”** Dean admitted. “Killing that guy, killing Meg…I didn’t even hesitate. Not a flinch. For you, Riley or dad? **The things I’m willing to do or kill, it just uh—it scares me sometimes, man.”**

Sam didn’t know what to say. He knew nothing would change his brother’s mind on what had happened.

 **“Well, it shouldn’t.”** John walked into the room with an obviously beaten face. “You did good, son.” 

Dean looked back at him confused. “Wait, you’re not mad? I used a bullet.” 

**“Mad? I’m proud of you.”** Placing a hand on his son’s shoulder, John looked Dean in the eyes. **“You know, Sam and I, we can get pretty obsessed. But you–you watch out for this family. You always have.”**

The wind outside began to pick up and they could hear it blowing and whistling through the trees. What little lights were on began to flicker. Sam went in a hurry back to every possible entrance ensuring the lines of salt were ready. 

**“It found us. It’s here. Dean, you got the gun?”**

**“Yeah.”**

**“Okay, give it to me.”**

Dean took the gun out of his jacket pocket. **“Dad, Sam tried to shoot the demon in Salvation. It disappeared.”**

 **“This is me, I won’t miss. Now give me the gun, hurry.”**

He hesitated and took a step back, looking at his father. “No. He’d be fucking furious. **He wouldn’t be proud of me, he’d tear me a new one.”**

Riley came in the room as she ran a hand through her hair. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and a feeling she had begun to know all too well, rushed through her. Riley turned to look at John and an evil surged from him. It was powerfully overwhelming. 

“Dean! That’s not John!” 

Letting out a soft chuckle, John replied, “what? Riley what are you talking about?” 

Dean’s arm raised as he pointed the Colt at John. “She’s right. **You’re not my dad.”**

As Sam made his way back, his jaw fell slightly agape at the scene he walked in on. “Dean, what the fuck is going on?” 

“It’s not him! I can feel it.” 

“Fine, you trust your gut and Riley so much, go ahead. Kill me.” John said as his head fell, and he waited for the shot. Dean held the gun pointed at him but shook. What if he was wrong? He couldn’t find it in him to pull the trigger. **“I thought so,”** John said with an unfamiliar tone. As he looked up, his eyes were yellow, and he smirked at the young hunters. 

Sam went to lunge in his direction but was thrown against the wall and pinned there. Riley and Dean were next as the evil force went for them as well. The Colt had fallen to the floor and the three struggled to get free from the invisible power that held them. John calmly walked over and picked up the gun. 

**“What a pain in my ass this thing’s been.”**

**“It’s you, isn’t it?”** Sam finally was face to face with the creature that had ruined his life. **“We’ve been looking for you for a long time.”**

A large and evil grin made John look like a completely different person as he turned to Sam. **“Well, you found me.”**

**“But the holy water.”**

The demon scoffed. **“You think something like that works on something like me?”**

“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Sam seethed. 

**“Oh, that’d be a neat trick. In fact…here.”** John placed the Colt on the table. **“Make the gun float to you there, psychic boy.”** A chuckle of sadistic evil came from his mouth. Sam looked down at the gun, hoping and willing for it to be forced in his direction, but nothing happened. **“Well, this is fun. I could’ve killed you a hundred times today, but this…”** he sighed. **“This is worth the wait.”** Looking over at Dean, it knew just how to get under his skin. “ **Your Dad – he’s in here with me. Trapped inside his own meat suit. He says ‘hi’, by the way. He’s gonna tear you apart. He’s gonna taste the iron in your blood.”**

The wrath in Dean consumed the air. **“Let him go or I swear to God–”**

**“What? What are you and God gonna do? You see, as far as I’m concerned, this is justice.You know that little exorcism of yours? That was my daughter. The one in the alley? That was my boy. You understand?”**

**“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”**

**“What? You’re the only one that can have a family? You destroyed my children. How would you feel if I killed your family?”** John paused with a nasty smile. **“Oh, that’s right. I forgot. I did. Still, two wrongs don’t make a right.”**

“You son of a bitch!” Riley screamed. 

**“I wanna know why,”** Sam started. **“Why’d you do it?”**

**“Oh, you mean why I killed your mommy and pretty little Jess?”** the demon asked. **“You know, he never told you this,”** John said heading towards Dean. **“…but Sam was going to ask her to marry him. Been shopping for rings and everything.”** He turned to look at Sam again. **“And you want to know why? Because they got in the way.** ” The creature snickered and pivoted to face Riley. “Oh, and you? That’s why I had to get rid of your mommy and auntie.” 

Riley fought against the hold on her with all her might but still couldn’t move. She gritted her teeth together and shook with rage. 

“My plans…for you…for Sammy, for all the children like you.” 

**“Listen,”** Dean snarked. **“You mind just getting this over with, huh? Cause I really can’t stand the monologuing.”**

As the demon turned in response, he got more aggressive. **“Funny, but that’s all part of your M.O., isn’t it? Masks all that nasty pain, masks the truth.”**

Challenging the thing that stood not even a foot away, he asked, **“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”**

 **“You know, you fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is they don’t need you,”** the demon taunted. **“Not like you need them. Sam–he’s clearly John’s favorite. Even when they fight, it’s more concern than he’s ever shown you.”** It grinned from ear to ear as it went on. “And your girlfriend over there? You know you’re not good enough for her. That you’ll never be good enough. One day? She’ll leave you.” 

“Fucking liar!” Riley shouted as she tugged for freedom. With hate in her eyes and her brow furrowed, tears welled in her eyes. “I’m glad your children are dead. I’ll kill every single one of them, I swear to God.” A small laugh came through her words as she enjoyed hitting the demon where it hurt. 

A smug look came over the demon’s face followed by a maniacal grin. It turned towards Dean and in that instant, the hunter yelled out in pain. He began to bleed heavily from his chest and to choke. 

Riley realized she had provoked it too far she screamed, “no!” 

“Dean!” Sam yelled at the same moment. 

The demon made its way to Dean and looked at him suffering. 

**“Dad! Dad, don’t let it kill me,”** John’s oldest son pleaded. As John continued to smile at him, Dean screamed out as his torture continued. Blood began to run from his mouth. **“Dad, please…”** he said with tears in his eyes.

Both the others struggled with all they had to get free and cried in anger as Dean finally passed out from the pain. Riley had been trying to get into the demon the entire time, but what she had forgotten to do was reach for John. She closed her eyes and tears fell as she focused on finding his soul. As if she had reached in and found his hand, she pulled him to the surface. _“Fight, John! Fight it!”_

The yellow eyes turned to John’s chestnut browns as he breathed heavily. **“Stop…”** he whispered. 

Whatever had been holding the three hunters to the wall, suddenly released them. Riley felt drained and dizzy as she hit the floor. She had used so much of herself to find John. 

Sam scurried to the gun and pointed it at John. It turned around to face him, his eyes again a bright and frightening yellow. **“You kill me, you kill daddy,”** the demon smirked. 

**“I know.”** Sam fired the gun, shooting John in the leg. 

The demon hit the floor as the bullet worked its magic. Black smoke came from John’s body and visible shocks skimmed over him. John seemed to be unconscious. 

Gathering her strength, Riley ran to Dean’s side as he gasped for air. Sam followed her. “Dean? Dean…” she cried. 

**“Oh, god, you’ve lost a lot of blood,”** Sam whimpered. 

Dean’s voice was weak and wet with blood. **“Where’s dad?”**

**“He’s here. He’s right here, Dean.”**

**“Go check on him. Please…”**

As Riley cradled Dean’s head, she could feel the demon’s presence once again. Her eyes grew and she turned to Sam as he went to his father. “Sam! No! It’s still in there!” Yellow eyes shot open looking up at the youngest Winchester. Remembering what she had done before, Riley shut her eyes and reached out for John. _“Come back. Come back, John. Fight that son of a bitch!”_

John’s eyes went soft again as he regained control of his body. “Sammy!” he screamed. “I feel it. Son, you gotta shoot me. Shoot me! Shoot me in the heart!” 

Groaning in a fight for power, Riley held onto to John. _“I don’t know how much longer I can hold you!”_

“Shoot me, son! Fucking do it, now! Please!” John wept as he begged his son to take the opportunity. 

Dean was weak and barely hanging on as he cried for his brother not to do it. The moment seemed to drag on as Sam cried and couldn’t find the strength to fire.

“Sammy, I’m begging you. End it. End it now.” John cried and shouted. “Kill me! Please!! Sam…” 

Sam shook as he lowered the gun. He couldn’t live with himself if he killed his father. He finally realized that nothing was worth losing the people he loved; and definitely not revenge. 

A storm of black smoke shot from John’s mouth as he screamed. The cloud that grew seemed to take all light from the room. After it had completely pulled from its vessel, the demon flew into the cracks of the wooden floor and was gone. 

All four hunters were shaking in pain, fear, and sadness. John sobbed, realizing their moment had come and gone. 

—— 

Baby sped down the dark foggy road. Sam drove as fast as he could trying to get his loved ones to the nearest hospital. John sat broken and fatigued in the front seat. Holding Dean as he was barely able to stay awake, Riley continued to talk to him. “Hold on, Dean. Please hold on. Stay with me, babe.” Her hands were soaked in warm blood as she attempted to stop any more blood from pouring out. 

“Hold on, guys. The hospital’s only ten minutes away.” Sam was trying to stay calm and collected to stay strong for his family. 

John shook his head softly. **“I’m surprised at you, Sammy. Why didn’t you kill it? I thought we saw eye-to-eye on this. Killing this demon comes first—before me, before everything.”**

 **“No, sir,”** Sam replied. **“Not before everything.”**

Riley’s face was still wet and stained from tears. She sniffled. “We still have the Colt and still have one more bullet left. As soon as we get everyone fixed up, we’ll start again. We’ll find it.” 

“She’s right,” Sam agreed. **“I mean we already found the demon once–”**

Before he could finish his sentence, bright headlights came from the passenger’s side. In the blink of an eye, everything crashed around them as an eighteen-wheeler rammed into them. Glass shattered and the tires squealed as it forced them off the road and into a ditch. 

The Impala sat in the darkness, its headlights still shining into the distance. It had crumpled on impact and barely even resembled their beloved car. The Winchesters and Riley were all covered in their own blood and each other’s as they lay motionless. 

Leftover loose glass softly fell as the black and empty eyes from the truck driver sat on them. Darkness wrapped around the crash and engulfed them like a blanket. They had lost. They had lost it all. 

——


	13. "Devil's Trap Part 1"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armed with the Colt and a somewhat haphazard plan, the boys and Riley wait to hear from John as they chase one of Sam's visions hoping to catch the yellow-eyed demon.

**Word Count: 5,000+**

**Content Warning: language and violence**

**DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.**

The soft sound of crickets chirping filled the quiet night. Sam, Riley, and Dean sat in Baby in front of the house of the family Sam had found. They were parked across the street as they watched the woman and her husband eat dinner through their window. Riley and Dean waited patiently as they trusted Sam’s visions. The demon was coming, and that family would be in danger. 

**“Maybe we could tell them there’s a gas leak** or something?” Sam suggested. **“I mean, might get them out of the house for a couple hours.”**

Riley scoffed under her breath. “Sam, when in the history of _ever_ has that worked out for us?” 

**“…we _could_ always tell them the truth.” **

Dean looked at Riley. They both imagined what hell that would unleash and found it funny Sam would even suggest it. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Sam agreed. “It’s just–these people have no idea what’s coming for them.” 

**“Sam we only got one move and you know it, all right?”** Dean turned to look back at the house. **“We gotta wait for that demon to show itself and then we get it before it gets them.”**

“I wonder how John’s doing,” Riley admitted. 

**“I’d feel a lot better if we were there backing him up.”**

With a raise of her brow Riley added, “hell, I wish _he_ was here to back _us_ up.” 

Sam nodded in agreeance. “It just all feels so weird. All these years leading up to us being here? I don’t know. It just doesn’t even feel real.” 

“Yeah, but we just gotta keep our heads and do our job like always.” Dean reminded him. 

“But, Dean,” Riley leaned on the front seat from behind them. “This isn’t like ‘always.’ This is so much bigger and different than anything we’ve ever done.” 

“True.” 

The youngest Winchester shifted in his seat to face his brother. “Dean, I uh–I wanna thank you.” 

“For what?” 

**“For everything. You’ve always had my back you know? Even when I couldn’t count on anyone, I could always count on you. And uh, I don’t know–I just wanted to let you know. Just in case.”**

Sam had brought up the thought that no one had wanted to admit. They were all terrified that they might not make it out of that house alive. Riley could feel she wasn’t alone in that regard. 

But Dean would have none of that kind of talk before they walked in there. It was his job to make sure they went in ready and not thinking the worst. **“Woah, woah, woah. Are you kidding me? Don’t say just ‘in case something happens to you.’ I don’t wanna hear that fucking speech man. Nobody’s dying tonight. Not us, not that family, nobody. Except for that demon. That evil son of a bitch ain’t getting any older than tonight, you understand me?”**

Nodding to his brother’s words, Sam called John. The line rang again and again until it reached his voicemail. Sam closed his phone. “Dad’s not answering.” 

Riley wanted to remain optimistic no matter how hard. “Well, I mean, Meg could be late to the meetup. Reception could be shitty.” 

As Dean was about to acknowledge her thoughts, the radio gave off a strange high-pitched frequency with static. The wind began to blow as the trees in the neighborhood swayed. They turned to look at the house as the lights inside flickered on and off. 

Sam swallowed hard and went to grab the door handle. **“It’s coming.”**

All three hurried over the lawn and to the house. Dean went to work to pick the lock and they quietly snuck into the now dark house. They made their way into the family room near the stairs. 

From the darkness, a scared man came out with a baseball bat and swung at Dean as he dodged it just in time. **“Get out of my house!”** As he took another swing, Dean grabbed the bat and forced the man against the wall. 

“Sir, please,” Sam pleaded. 

**“Be quiet and listen to me, okay?** ” Dean commanded as he caught his breath. **“We’re trying to help you.”**

The wife’s voice called to him from upstairs. **“Charlie? Is everything alright down there?”**

 **“Monica, get the baby!”** the husband screamed. 

“No!” Riley yelled up to her. “Don’t go in the nursery!” She and Sam ran upstairs. 

The husband tried to fight off Dean still thinking they were intruders trying to hurt his family. When the hunter realized they were getting nowhere, Dean hit the man across the face rendering him unconscious. 

As Riley and Sam made it up the stairs, they heard a woman cry out in fear and followed the sounds. They ran down the hall and rounded the corner to see the open bedroom door. Sam gripped the Colt as they rushed inside. Their hearts seemed to stop as they saw a black figure standing next to the baby’s crib. The creature turned to them as its bright yellow eyes stared back at them. A swirl of evil swam through them. It was the demon. 

Riley remembered the night of the fire in the diner. The feeling of pure evil brought her back to that moment as Deb’s screams echoed in her mind. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she fought to hold on to her sanity. 

Sam fired the weapon at the demon right as it had dissipated into black smoke and disappeared right in front of them. At that moment, the woman that had been held up against the wall towards the ceiling fell to the ground sobbing. “My baby! Rosie!” she screamed. 

“Where the fuck did it go?” Sam’s heart raced a mile a minute and he panicked wondering if he’d missed his only chance. 

“I don’t know!” Riley yelled. 

Sam rushed to the mother’s side to help her up. He began to force her out of the room and down the hall as she continued to scream for her child. 

“Get her out of here, Sam! I got the kid.” Scooping up the infant in the last possible second, Riley fled away from the crib as it went up in violent flames. 

Dean was at the bottom of the stairs anxiously waiting for her to come down. As she reached the last step, he wrapped his arms around her to protect her from the fire chasing them. “We gotta go!” 

Coughing, Dean and Riley emerged from the smoking house as the nursery exploded. Sam was out on the lawn with the terrified couple. The man shouted at the hunters, “give us our baby!” 

“No, Charlie,” the wife whimpered. **“They saved us. They saved us.”** Riley went to the weeping mother and gave her back her daughter. “Thank you,” she said through her tears as the woman’s husband held her. 

Riley, Sam, and Dean turned to look at the now burning home as the fire raged on. Up in the nursery, the black figure stood looking down at them. Rage coursed through Sam. 

**“It’s still in there!”** He began to charge towards the door before Dean could grab him. **“No! Dean! Let me go! It’s still in there!”**

“The house is burning to the ground, it’s fucking _suicide_ , Sam!” Dean yelled as he held him back. 

**“I don’t care!”**

**“I do!”**

Riley hadn’t moved a muscle. Her eyes locked on the creature that had destroyed her life. As hate and anger took over her, tears streamed down her face. _“I’m gonna find you, you son of a bitch.”_ With Riley’s final thought, the demon disappeared once again into the flames. 

—— 

Back in the motel, Riley sat with her face in her hands. The emotions flying around, plus her own were eating her alive. 

They were so close. 

Sam sat on the bed and scowled as Dean paced while he tried to call his dad. “Come on, dad. Come on. Pick up, dammit!” When John didn’t answer, he closed the phone in frustration. “Something’s wrong.” 

**“If you had just let me go back in there, I could have ended this,** ” Sam seethed. 

With a scoff, Dean turned towards his little brother. “The only thing you would have ended was your goddamn life, Sam. You can’t just sacrifice yourself! I’m not gonna let it happen.” 

Riley looked up with her hands over her mouth as her elbows leaned on her knees. It was all too much. 

**“What the hell are you talking about Dean, we’ve been searching for this demon our whole lives. It’s the only thing we’ve ever cared about.”** Sam was furious. 

**“Sam I wanna waste it. I do. Okay? But it’s not worth dying over,”** Dean said firmly but while still almost pleading with Sam. “ **If hunting this demon means getting yourself killed, then I hope we never find the damn thing.”**

Sam’s jaw clenched. **“That thing killed Jess. That thing killed _mom_.” **

“You told me before, they’re gone. They’re not coming back and there’s nothing we can do to change that.” 

Something in Sam snapped as he charged at his older brother. He grabbed his jacket and slammed him up against the wall. 

“Sam, stop! Please!” Riley begged. She began to feel lightheaded as she could no longer control the storm of suffering around her. 

“Don’t you say that, Dean! Not after all we’ve been through, don’t you _fucking_ say that.” Sam’s words dripped with disdain as he struggled to resist the urge to cry. 

“Sammy…the four of us–that’s all we have.” Dean’s voice broke as the pain became too much. **“It’s all _I_ have.”** He paused as both brothers began to cry. “I know I always screw around and joke, but I’m barely holding it together, man. Without you, and Riley, and dad…” 

Releasing his brother, Sam softened. “Dad.” 

All three had been crying at that point. Riley sniffled. “You guys, he should have called by now.” 

“Try him again, Dean.” Sam wiped the tears from his eyes as he looked back at him. 

Dean looked broken. He was hanging by a thread for his family and could feel himself being crushed under the weight of it all. Riley looked at him with love letting him know he wasn’t alone as she carried the burden with him. 

Pulling out his phone, the oldest Winchester son tried to call John one more time. And that time, someone answered–it was Meg. 

“You all _really_ fucked up this time.” 

Barely able to get out the words, Dean replied as he looked at his partners, **“where is he?”**

Riley went to Sam’s side to hold onto him as they both felt fear wash over them. 

**“You’re never gonna see your father again.”**

The line disconnected and Dean slapped the phone shut. **“They’ve got dad.”** He walked to the other side of the room trying to decide what they should do as he ran a hand down his face. 

“What do we do, Dean?” Riley asked. 

Taking the Colt off the table, he put it in his waistband. “We gotta go.” Dean went to get their things. 

Sam went towards his brother. “What? Why?” 

**“Because the demon knows we’re in Salvation, all right? It knows we got the Colt. It’s got Dad–it’s probably coming for us next.”**

**“Good! We’ve still got three bullets left.** Let the son of a bitch come.” Sam’s voice was flat and steady, but tight like a plucked wire 

“Dean’s right,” Riley agreed. “We’re not ready, Sam. We don’t even know how many of them would be coming.” 

Throwing his duffle over his shoulder and picking up Riley’s, Dean turned to his brother. “We’re going. …now!” 

—— 

Leaves flew out from behind Baby as she sped down the road. The air in the car was awkward, to say the least. Riley and Dean sat front as Sam sat in the back seat. He attempted to work through his annoyance with the older Winchester. 

“I’m telling you, Dean…we could have taken him.” 

**“What we need is a plan,”** Dean started. **“Now, they’re probably keeping Dad alive, we just gotta figure out where. They’re gonna want to trade him for the gun.”** He could see Sam through the rearview mirror as his head shook and his lips grew tight. **“What?”**

 **“Dean, if that were true, why didn’t Meg mention a trade?”** Sam paused. **“Dad, he might be–”**

“Sam, don’t,” Riley interrupted. “Please.” She could feel the tensions rising again. Dean’s knuckles go white gripping the steering wheel. 

**“Look, I don’t want to believe it any more than you** guys **. But if he is, all the more reason to kill this damn thing. We still have the Colt. We can still finish the job.”**

“Fuck the job!” Dean barked. 

**“Dean, I’m just trying to do what he would want. He would want us to keep going.”**

**“Quit talking about him like he’s dead already.”** Dean grew angry at his brother’s stubbornness. **“Listen to me, everything stops until we get him back, you understand me? _Everything_.” **

Turning towards the man she loved, Riley asked, “okay, babe. So how do we find him?” 

“Maybe we start by going to Lincoln. We go to the warehouse he was taken from.” 

“Dean, do you really think the demons would leave a trail?” 

**“You’re right,”** he paused. **“We need help.”**

—— 

The hunters pulled into a junkyard. A large welded sign hovered over the entrance reading: _“Singer Auto Salvage”_. Random parts and pieces of vehicles and other odds and ends scattered the yard. The property was unkept and vehicles were everywhere. 

As they got out of the car, they stood in front of a dark grey house. The paint was peeling, and hubcaps had been hung over the walls. More scraps and junk leaned up against the home. 

Sam, Dean, and Riley walked up onto the large white porch and knocked on the door. An older-gentlemen opened the door and smirked at the sight of the three. He was just about Dean’s height. His face was tired and worn just like the clothes he wore. A beat-up baseball cap sat on his head and his mustache and beard were slightly ungroomed. “Good to see you kids.” The man’s voice was deep and raspy. The smell of alcohol wafted from his breath. 

“Hey, Bobby,” Dean gave him a hug and Sam followed suit. 

Riley shot him a big grin as Bobby chuckled under his breath. “It’s been too long, Munroe.” He wrapped his arms around her tightly. 

“It really has,” she whispered into his chest. 

He waved into the house. “Come in, come in.” 

The inside of Bobby’s house matched the outside. It seemed as though he found order amongst the chaos of it all. The hunters headed into his study. Lore, pictures, notes, news clippings and more littered the walls. There were more books than any of them would know what to do with. 

Both Winchesters knew the fellow hunter all too well. Through the years, John had dropped them off with him more times than they could count. He was a good man and always reliable. Bobby had been like a surrogate father to them both and they trusted him implicitly. 

Riley went way back with Bobby as well. There were times that her dad had stopped by for help or to have him watch her for a night or two. He was like the uncle she never had. Riley hadn’t seen Bobby though since before Jackson’s death. How she and the boys never seemed to be at the salvage yard at the same time over the years, was a surprise to them all. 

Bobby picked up two silver flasks with crosses etched into them and handed one to Dean. “Here ya go.” 

**“What is this? Holy water?”**

“Well that one is,” he said taking a sip from the other flask. “This one’s just good old-fashioned whiskey.” Bobby handed it to Dean and he took a swig as well. 

Riley’s hand reached out from a chair she had found. “Don’t leave a girl hanging.” As the older Winchester handed her the flask, he chuckled. 

Dean turned towards back to Bobby. “Hey, thanks for everything. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure we should come.” 

“Nonsense, boy. **Your daddy needs help.”** He let out a sound that resembled a sigh. “Though the last time I saw John, we weren’t exactly on the best of terms. Had to threaten him with a blast full of buckshot.” Bobby chuckled in that familiar raspy tone. **“But John tends to have that effect on people.”**

Sam had been rifling through all Bobby’s collected material through the years. He scoffed as he flipped through one old book that he found particularly interesting. **“Bobby, this book—I’ve never seen anything like it.”**

“That there is the Key of Solomon,” he replied as he sat on the corner of the desk next to Sam. “That’s the _real_ deal. See that?” Bobby pointed to a symbol on the opened page. “That’s a protective circle. You get a demon it and they’re trapped. Totally powerless. **Like a demonic roach motel,”** he smiled at his joke. 

“The man knows his stuff,” Riley added with a nod. 

“Well, I’ll tell you what—this is some serious shit the three of you have stepped in.” 

Dean’s brows furrowed. “Yeah? How’s that?” 

“Well, in a normal year, I’d only get wind of three or so demon possessions. Four tops.” He shook his head and adjusted his cap. “This year? I hear of 27 so far. More and more demons are walking among us—a hell of a lot more.” Bobby paused and looked at them with worry. **“The storm’s coming,** and you three and John? **You’re smack in the middle of it.”**

Riley suddenly felt uneasy and anxious. There was a presence nearby that she had felt before but couldn’t place. She grabbed Dean’s wrist in fear as he stood beside her chair. 

“What is it, sweetheart?” 

“…something’s wrong.” 

At that moment, a crash came from the entryway as the door was kicked open with fury. The hunters all jumped at the sound to turn in its direction. Meg sauntered in with a look of discontent on her face. She stopped in the entrance of the room. “No more bullshit, alright?” 

Dean tried to sneak into his pocket to grab the flask of holy water. As he went to throw it on her, she waved an angry arm that sent him through the air and across the room. He crashed into a tower of books and hit his head. Dean laid on the wooden floor and lost consciousness. 

“Dean!” Riley turned to run in his direction, but Sam grabbed her and forced her behind him to shield her. 

“I want the Colt, Sam. The _real_ Colt.” Meg began to walk towards them. 

Her presence was a threat in itself. Guarding Riley, Sam and Bobby moved slowly across the room trying to get away. 

**“We don’t have it. We buried it,”** Sam answered. 

**“Didn’t I say, ‘no more** bullshit’?” Meg grew tired of the games and her tone went sharp in annoyance. **“I swear–after everything I heard about you** hunters, **I got to tell you, I’m a little underwhelmed.** **First, Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun, and then he leaves the real gun with you,** three morons. **Lackluster** , children. **I mean, did you _really_ think I wouldn’t find you?” **

**“Actually,”** a gruff voice from behind them spoke. Meg turned to the sound. **“We were counting on it.”** Dean stood with a cocky look on his face as his eyes went up to the ceiling above her. She followed his gaze to see the protection spell from the book painted on the ceiling. It was the demon trap. **“Gotcha,”** he growled through his teeth. 

—— 

A powerless Meg sat bound with rope to an old wooden chair in the middle of the room. The spell had contained her while they figured out what to do with the demon. The fireplace crackled in the background and the light from the flames danced around them. 

Sam, Dean, and Riley stood together across the room from the evil creature and looked at her with abhorrence. The three were silent as they refused to take their eyes off her. 

**“You know,”** Meg started with a hint of lust, **“if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do was ask.”**

Bobby made his way back into the study as he closed the large container he carried. **“I salted all the doors and windows. If there are any demons out there, they ain’t getting in.”**

With a nod of acknowledgment, Dean got up to trade spots with Bobby as he made his way over to their captive. **“Where’s our father, Meg?”**

**“You didn’t ask very nice, Dean.”**

He smirked. **“Where’s our father, bitch.”**

“Wow, Dean… **you kiss your mother with that mouth?”** Meg chuckled. “Oh, that’s right. You don’t,” she said with a pleased smile. 

“Hey, you think this is a fucking game?!” Dean shouted as he leaned into the arms of the chair to get in her face. “Where is he?! What did you do to him?!” 

**“He died screaming. I killed him myself.”**

Dean’s face began to shake and twitch with rage. He stood, only to backhand her across the face with force. Meg gasped out. Riley grabbed Sam’s hand and squeezed. She could hear the soft and distant cries of the woman trapped inside with the demon. 

**“That’s kind of a turn-on…you hitting a girl,”** she smirked as she composed herself. 

**“You’re no girl.”**

**“Dean…”** Bobby motioned for him to follow as they went into the other room. The other’s followed. 

Sam’s tone was gentle as he tried to comfort his brother. **“You okay?”**

 **“She’s lying. He’s not dead,”** Dean bit back. 

Bobby turned around to face the older Winchester. **“Dean, you gotta be careful with her. Don’t hurt her.”**

**“What? Why?”**

Riley put a hand on Dean’s arm and slid it down to find his hand. “Because that _thing_ might be a monster, but there’s a real girl trapped inside there. I can hear her, Dean. She’s terrified.” 

“Fuck,” Dean ran his hands over his head. “You’re right. God, there’s an innocent girl trapped in there.” He turned to face Meg as she seemed almost hungry to kill them all. Looking back at them he said, “that’s actually a good thing.” Dean went to his bag and pulled out John’s trusty hunting journal. He flipped through the pages looking for a specific one and then handed it over to Sam. 

**“You gonna read me a story?”** Meg teased. 

**“Yeah, something like that. Hit it, Sam.”**

Focusing on the written words, Sam read aloud. **“Regna terrae, cantáte deo, psállite dómino…”**

As he continued the Latin incantation, Meg turned to the others. **“An exorcism? Are you serious?”**

 **“Oh, we’re going for it, honey–head spinning, projectile vomiting, the whole nine yards,”** Dean spoke through his teeth as he still struggled to contain his desire to beat her to a pulp. 

**“…tribuite virtutem deo.”**

The possessed body winced and groaned out in pain. As she gasped for air she turned to Dean. “I’m gonna fucking kill you all. I’m gonna rip the bones from your body.” Meg looked over at Riley who stood in the corner trying to not let the emotions and evil consume her. “But first, I think I’ll slowly tear off the flesh from _that_ one…” she smirked at Dean. “…and make you watch.” 

That was all it took for him to clench his jaw and seethe through his teeth. “No, you bitch. **You’re gonna burn in hell.** **Unless you tell us where our dad is.”** When Meg just returned his demand with a sinister smile he smirked. **“Well, at least you’ll get a nice tan.”**

 **“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incuriso infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, onmis congregatio et secta diabolica….”** As Sam continued, Meg yelled out in pain and shook as the power of the incantation clawed at her. 

**“He begged for his life with tears in his eyes,”** she said gasping through the agony. **“He begged to see his sons one last time. And that’s when I slit his goddamn throat.”**

Riley desperately wanted to read her mind and know if that was the truth. But the demon’s thoughts were impenetrable. All she could hear was the emptiness inside her along with the sobs for help. 

As Sam continued reading, Dean leaned back into Meg’s face. **“For your sake. I hope you’re lying. Because if it’s true? I swear to _God_!” **His words dripped with fury. **“I will march into hell myself, and I will slaughter each and every one of you sons of bitches, so help me god.”**

 **“Perditionis venenum propinare. Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae.”** A wind began to blow through the house as the exorcism went on. **“Hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei. Contremisce et effuge. Invocato a nobis sancto et terribile nomine. Quem inferi tremunt…”**

She had sat on the sidelines long enough. The torture that was going on inside the man Riley loved filled her with a fire that she could no longer control. She slammed down on the desk she was leaning against and marched over to Meg. “You’re full of shit! Stop lying and tell us where the hell John is!” 

“He’s fucking dead!” 

**“No, he’s not! He can’t be!”** Dean screamed with wrath in his voice. 

**“Ab insidis diaboli, libera nos, domine. Ut ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias, libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae ecclesiae humiliare digneris, to rogamus audi nos…”**

The chair that Meg was tied to, began to slide back and forth across the wooden floors as she wailed. Squeaking and creaking came from the friction of the chair against the floor. She shouted, “fine! He’s not dead.” 

“Wait! Sam, stop!” Riley put a hand up towards the young Winchester. 

At the pause in the exorcism, the chaos stopped. Meg looked up at them. “But he will be. I swear to god he will be after we’re through with him.” Dean’s eyes grew and he yelled for Sam to keep going. In terror, she interrupted him, **“wait! A building! Okay? A building in Jefferson City.”**

 **“Missouri?! Where?** Give us a goddamn address!” Dean continued to shout. 

**“I don’t know!”**

**“The demon we’re looking for…where is it?”** Sam added in earnest. 

**“I don’t know, I swear!”** Meg panted in fear and tried to catch her breath. **“That’s everything. That’s all I know.”**

Dean’s face twitched again as he gritted his teeth. **“Finish it.”**

**“What?! No! I told you the truth!”**

**“I don’t care.”**

**“You son of a bitch, you promised!”**

Getting only inches from her face still itching to kill her, Dean screamed. **“I lied!”**

Completely on board with the way Dean was running the show, Riley crossed her arms as they clenched. She couldn’t take the sound of the pleas for mercy inside Meg for another second. “Keep going, Sammy.” 

“Maybe we can still use her,” Sam started. “Find out where the demon is.” 

“Sam! There’s an innocent girl in there! I can _hear_ her!” 

“Oh, _can_ you?” Meg snarked. “Isn’t that interesting. Never heard of a freak like _you_ , before.” 

Riley turned to her with an annoyed expression. “Oh, shut the fuck up already, would you?” 

Walking up behind them, Bobby stopped them. “You can’t keep doing this. You’re gonna kill her.” The three others stood there in confusion. “You said she fell from a damn building. **That girl’s body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon inside. You exorcize it–that girl is going to die.”**

“Riley’s right,” Dean said shaking his head. “We are _not_ gonna leave her like that!” 

**“She’s a _human being.”_**

**“Then we’re gonna put her out of her misery,”**

Sam looked at his brother and Riley and then to Bobby, not sure what to do. He looked over at Meg. 

“Finish it, Sam,” Riley said with certainty. 

Taking a sharp breath and still doubting their decision, Sam continued. **“Dominicos sanctae ecclesiae, terogamus audi nos…”** Meg’s eyes turned a solid black as all color vanished. They resembled an obsidian so dark, it was clear they carried no sign of humanity. The chair began to flail around again, violently. **“…terribilis deus do sanctuario suo deus israhel. Ipse tribuite virtutem et fortitudinem plebi suae, benedictus deus, gloria patri…”**

Meg’s head threw back as she released one last scream. The hunters watched in horror as a black smoke flew out of her mouth and shot towards the ceiling. As the demon was sent from the vessel, the cloud grew and grew as the room shook. When the creature had finally gone, the smoke disappeared, and the tortured woman’s head fell to her chest. 

Silence filled the room as the Winchesters, Riley, and Bobby stood dumbfounded; waiting for any sign of life in the girl. Blood dripped from her lips and the sound of it splattering on the floor was almost deafening. 

Suddenly, a soft wheeze came from the blonde woman as she struggled to lift her head. She groaned in a hushed tone as the pain consumed her. 

Riley was hit with what felt like a thud to her chest. The woman’s agony and suffering took hold of her and tears began to run down her face. Pushing through the sensations of anguish, she rushed to the girl’s side to comfort her. 

“Oh my god, she’s alive.” Dean was almost shocked. **“Bobby, call 911 and get her some blankets.”** He and Sam scrambled over to her to untie her. 

**“…thank you,”** a hoarse voice whispered. 

“Shh. It’s okay. You’re safe now. We got you,” Riley said softly. 

**“…thank you.”**

**“Come on, let’s get her down.”** Sam reached underneath her, and Dean did the same from the other side. They lifted her up trying to move her as little as possible as Riley made sure to support her head. The real Meg groaned with every movement as her broken body couldn’t handle the pain. They laid her down on the floor as gently as possible. Her breathing was shallow, and she wheezed as she fought for air. 

Riley pushed the hair from her face and gently stroked her head. She didn’t make a sound and yet the tears continued to pour from her eyes. 

**“A year…”** the woman struggled to say. **“It’s been a year.”**

 **“Just take it easy.”** Sam was gentle and tried to soothe her. All three were consumed with deep sorrow for the girl. 

**“I’ve been awake for some of it.”** She paused to gasp for air. **“I couldn’t move my own body. The—things I did…it was a nightmare.”** Meg’s eyes found Riley. “You–you heard me. I don’t know how…but you did. I could hear you too.” Riley sniffled as guilt swallowed her. “I know—I know you tried. Please…don’t blame yourself.” 

Trying to pull herself together, she looked up at Dean and then back to the dying woman in her arms. “Meg, I’m so sorry.” She cleared her throat. “But we have to know, was it telling us the truth about John?” 

With what energy she had left, she nodded. “Yes.” Her voice got weaker and blood continued to come from her mouth and nose as she choked on it. Tears spilled down her temples. **“But it wants you all to know…it wants you to come for him.”**

A part of Dean felt a sigh of relief while the other mourned for Meg. **“If he’s alive, none of that matters.”**

Bobby came back in with blankets and a glass of water. Dean lifted Meg’s head and let her lightly sip at the glass while the others made her a pillow and covered her. Riley still ran a hand over her hair just wanting to help her know she wasn’t alone. She could still feel Meg’s physical pain to an extent. It hurt to breathe, and her body felt beaten and bruised from head to toe. 

**“Where is the demon we’re looking for?”** Sam pleaded. 

**“Not there…”** she strained and gasped, **“…other ones. Awful ones. They—they’re keeping your dad by the river.”** What remained of the life inside her slipped away as she whispered, **“…sunrise.”**

Riley felt the girl’s soul wash over her almost like a breeze through her hair. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel her presence. And in an instant, she was gone. 

The now deceased woman’s eyes remained open. It was as though she wanted to make sure that with all she had suffered, that the last thing she saw were the ones that saved her. The ones that finally gave her peace. 

—— 

Bobby walked Sam, Dean, and Riley towards the door. Riley’s eyes were red as she was still recovering from the emotional ordeal. The three turned back to face the man they all saw as family. 

“You all better get out of here, before the paramedics get here.” 

“Wait,” Riley said with concern. “What about you, though?” 

With a light chuckle, Bobby replied, **“what? You think you** three ** _invented_ lying to the cops? I’ll figure something out. Here.” **He handed the Key of Solomon to Sam. “Take it. You might need it.” 

**“Thanks…for everything.”** Dean looked at Bobby and knew how lucky they were to have him. 

**“Just be careful, alright? Go find your dad. And when you do, bring him around, would you?** I promise not to try to shoot him this time.” The boys nodded in agreeance and went to head out. But before Riley could turn, Bobby took her arm. “I know we hadn’t talked since…well–you know. But I’m here for you, kid. I promised your daddy I would always keep an eye on you. Don’t make me a liar, girl. You come back when you can.” 

Riley gave him a closed mouth smile as she wrapped her arms around him. Bobby held her tight. He may have always smelled like whiskey and motor oil, but it somehow comforted her. “Love you, Bobby.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get out of here,” he teased as she pulled away. “And do me a favor would ya? Look out for those two idjits for me.” 

She released a breathy laugh and gave him one last look. Riley turned towards the door and headed for the porch to catch up with the boys. 

—— 

In Jefferson, Missouri, the Impala was parked in a dirt lot near a train track. The whistle blew as Sam flipped through the Key of Solomon on the roof of the car as he spun a marker in his hand. Dean was at the back of the car, loading up guns and putting them into his duffel bag. 

Running her fingers over the engravings on the gun, Riley held the Colt in her hands. As she leaned against the car, she took a moment to herself in silence. She realized they finally had the power to finish what their fathers started. That weapon was the key to a life with hope. Riley knew what the boys were feeling right then. And if she were honest, it was too heavy a burden to carry but she did it without a single complaint. 

Dean was solemn as he continued to work. Sam took a moment to look over at his brother. **“You’ve been quiet.”**

 **“Just getting ready,”** he replied snapping the loaded clip into the gun in his hand. 

Riley turned around to face the brothers. “John’s gonna be ok, Dean.” 

He looked up to acknowledge her, but his eyes cast down after a moment. Dean wanted to believe her, but he feared the worst and she felt it. 

Sam stopped as he found something that caught his eye. With the book in hand, he walked over to the popped drunk and began to draw an image onto the car. 

As Dean saw what his brother was doing, he snapped in his direction, “Dude, what the fuck are you doing to my car?” 

**“It’s called a Devil’s trap. Demons can’t get through it or inside it. It basically turns the trunk into a lockbox.”**

**“…so?”**

**“So, we have a place to hide the Colt while we go get dad.”**

Riley shook her head. “Wait, what? No. Sam, we need the Colt if we even have a _prayer_ at saving John.” 

**“We can’t. We’ve only got three bullets left. We can’t just use them on any demon, we’ve got to use them on the demon.”**

**“No, we have to save Dad, Sam, okay? We’re gonna need all the help we can get,”** Dean barked. 

**“Dean, you know how pissed dad would be if we used all the bullets? He wouldn’t want us to bring the gun.”**

“Since when have you given a shit what dad wants? ‘Cause right now I sure as hell don’t.” 

“I thought you wanted to kill the demon, Dean. You’re the one that came and drug me away from school. I’m just trying to finish this!” 

“Jesus Christ.” Dean ran his hands over his head and then turned towards Sam. “You know what? You and dad are more alike than I thought. **You both just can’t wait to sacrifice yourselves for this thing.”** He raised his voice to a yell as his pain spilled through his words. **“But guess what? I’m gonna be the one that has to** _fucking_ **bury you!”** Dean took a breath. **"You’re selfish, you know that? You don’t care about anything but revenge.”**

**“That’s not true, Dean. I want dad back.”**

“Dean,” Riley said softly as she went to his side. “Maybe he’s right. They’re gonna be expecting us to bring the gun. If they get it, we’re all dead.” She turned his head to look at her as she held the gun at her side. “I want this over just as much as you do. But if we aren’t smart about it, it’s over before it even starts.” 

Putting his hand on hers as it cradled his face, Dean closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he opened them again, he softened. “Okay.” 

Riley handed him the gun and wrapped her hands to close his around it. When she let him go, Dean put the Colt in the trunk and she gave him a soft kiss. “Let’s go find your dad.” 

——


End file.
